by Curlan Campbell
- Grenada Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey indicated 29% of women encountered some form of violence
- One Stop Centre housed on ground floor of GPPA building
- GPPA initiative funded by The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives
The primary aim of Grenada’s first One Stop Centre is to provide essential gender-based violence (GBV) services and prevent victim re-traumatisation. An initiative by The Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA), the One Stop Centre, funded by The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CLFI), is expected to operate 24 hours and provide support to survivors of domestic, sexual, or any other form of violence.
The ground floor of the GPPA building was transformed from a storage area into space to house the One Stop Centre. It has a dual objective of empowering women and restoring their dignity while also assuring a sense of security for women and children who have been victims of violence. To achieve its goal, the centre will provide medical, legal, and psycho-social services to survivors, all under one roof and at no cost, reducing the number of institutions that a survivor must visit to receive basic support following an incident of violence. This is done by coordinating the assistance and referral process in one location.
Dr Tonia Frame, President of the GPPA Board, announced during the soft launch that the centre is expected to achieve full operational status in the first quarter of 2024, despite delays in equipment and furniture deliveries. She noted that the GPPA, after identifying gaps that exist in the composition of their Partner Advisory Committee, started engaging the Public Prosecutions Office, and Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic to ensure that all stakeholders are fully represented.
“We have noted that there is a gap in our advisory partner, Advisory Committee. All the relevant sectors are not adequately represented,” Dr Frame said. “For example, we’ve only recently had conversations with the Departments of Public Prosecutions office and they have made the commitment to get on board, but there’s also police prosecution. We have also engaged the legal aid and counselling clinic and they’re a critical partner. We are trying to get all the partners on board because for the one-stop centre to work, we need to have all the essential service sectors fully represented.”
The findings of the Grenada Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey, the first extensive nationwide study on gender-based violence (GBV) in Grenada, indicated that 29% of women encountered some form of violence. This aligns with the global average, which suggests that 1 in 3 women will experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean H E Lillian Chatterjee recently reiterated CLFI’s commitment to continue helping organisations like GPPA that are dedicated to providing comprehensive care and support for survivors. “Because we firmly believe that civil society organisations are instrumental in defending human rights, promoting diversity, and inclusion, and holding governments accountable to their citizens,” Chatterjee said.
“GPPA is a wonderful example of a civil society organisation working for and with its community to protect and support some of its most vulnerable members. Now, as so many gathered here work in social services, I’m sure you’re well aware of the alarming rates of gender-based violence. It is important to continue to highlight these figures to raise awareness, to end the culture of silence and to spur action,” she continued.
According to Chatterjee, the Canadian government has also sought to strengthen the court systems in dealing with gender-based violence cases. “Canada’s judicial strengthening programmes will improve the capacity of judges, prosecutors and public defenders in Grenada to deliver and administer criminal justice efficiently, especially in cases of sexual and gender-based violence affecting women, girls and youth,” she said. “Societies must work together to develop laws, policies, tools and institutions that ensure that all people are protected so that their rights are upheld. GPPA’s efforts to find sustainable and collaborative solutions is one reason why Canada is proud to support this organisation and this one-stop centre.”
Also speaking at the launch was Honourable Phillip Telesford, Minister of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, who stressed the importance of the existence of such a facility. “This one-stop centre is critical because it prevents victims from reliving trauma every time they need to meet a service provider. We don’t want our victims to relive those traumas,” he said. “This, though small, is very innovative and is first class. And I make this commitment on behalf of the Government of Grenada to stand with this organisation and to offer whatever further support that we can offer.”
The Ministry of Health has completed training health professionals to recognise medical issues caused by medical conditions or domestic violence as part of its institutional strengthening. Also, training was held in the medico-legal response to intimate partner violence and sexual violence, clinical management of rape and intimate partner violence and survivor-centred safety and ethical principles to guide all interactions with survivors.
