The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Report on the welfare of women and children in Barbados will come under the microscope next week during a two-day national consultation at the Hilton Resort.

It will be held on Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6, and 60 stakeholders from ministries and government departments will gather to examine and give feedback on the document which was approved by UNICEF.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Senator Jepter Ince, will deliver remarks while Minister of Social Care, Steve Blackett, will give the feature address during the opening ceremony.

The Report contains 14 chapters on a number of areas, including Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, HIV/AIDS and Sexual Behaviour, Literacy and Education, Access to Mass Media and Use of ICT and Child Development, Protection and Health.

Director of the Barbados Statistical Service, Aubrey Browne, said that once completed, the Report would be sent to Cabinet for approval and then it would be released to the public for use.

Mr. Browne continued: ???There is no other data on these areas from any other sources in Barbados at the moment. This data will be useful now to fill some of the reporting data gaps in the millennium development goals.???

MICS was commissioned by the Government of Barbados and UNICEF provided most of the funding and technical assistance. It is a household survey which is promoted by UNICEF to capture information on the wellbeing of women and children within households.

The enumeration exercise was conducted in 2012 and a draft report was produced a year later. After being reviewed by the stakeholders, it was sent to UNICEF???s Headquarters in Washington for vetting and the final report will be examined next week.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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