Come this Friday, December 10, the members of the Men’s Health Groups of the Black Rock and Winston Scott Polyclinics will distribute white ribbons, as they pledge to end all forms of violence against women.
The White Ribbon distribution is being coordinated by members of the Men’s Health Groups of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Barbados Professional Women’s Club (BPW) and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life".
The two bodies have unified under the umbrella of two international anti-violence campaigns – the United Nations UNiTE to End Violence against Women and the White Ribbon Campaign.?? ??
According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women, sexual violence against women is high across the Caribbean, with all CARICOM countries showing higher than the global average per capita rates.????lbayley@barbados.gov.bb