Partnership for Peace - A Domestic Violence Intervention
The Caribbean has one of the highest violence rates in the world and violence against women is widespread. There are many contributing factors but increasingly it is being recognised that eradication of all forms of violence will require confronting harmful stereotypes of masculinity.

A Working Group of experts in social and clinical pscychology, social work and law, with UNIFEM's support have developed a standardized court-based batterer intervention programme for the Caribbean - Partnership for Peace - A Violence Prevention Programme.

This programme articulates principles of perpetrator accountability and women's human rights to lives of security and autonomy. In close partnership with national partners from the government, the judiciary and NGOs, the programme has been introduced to Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica and over 100 facilitators have been trained to facilitate the Programme.

Through the programme, men are led to confront negative gender stereotypes of masculinity and the unequal gender power relations that violence expresses and reinforces. The programme advances male responsibility for ending violence against women, not only individually but collectively. The programme is making a difference in women's lives, or as one of the men that completed the Programme stated: 'I accept the program - it changed my ways'.

Reducing Gender-Based Violence in Jamaica
UNIFEM is providing support to the Gender Bureau in Jamaica to develop a multi-sectoral strategic plans to address the protection, prevention and punishment of sexual and gender based violence.

Monitoring Framework to Reduce Violence against Women
UNIFEM, in partnership with the Gender Bureau in Jamaica and the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP), is currently building a monitoring framework to ensure state accountability through civil society-state partnerships, including development of complaints & response protocols between Ombudsman office, police units & human rights and women's organizations.

Law Reform and Gender-Based Violence

UNIFEM has and continues to support a number of partner legislative reform initiatives. These include the support for family law and domestic violence law reform led by the OECS Secretariat.

Click here to download - OECS Domestic Violence Bill

Additionally, the Coalition against Sexual Harassment (CASH) has prepared a model bill on the 'Protection against Sexual Harassment in the Workplace". (See attached)

Click here to download - Model legislation on Sexual Harassment