For the better part of the 1990s, Caribbean women's organizations, national machineries for women, the courts and the police have been engaged in dialogue and action to ensure protection and justice for victims of violence against women. A combination of public education, advocacy, the extension of services and law reform has led to changes in cultural attitudes.

Freedom from violence is now understood to be a human right to which women are entitled and that the State has an obligation to guarantee. However, in spite of the progress made, there is a widespread perception in the region that violence against women is on the rise. More and more women are being killed by their partners (although the rate varies considerably from country to country). Some studies have also suggested an increase in rapes and sexual offences.

Given the intense resource allocation (particularly by women's organizations) on the one hand, and the perception of an increase in all forms of violence on the other, it became clear that an assessment was needed of how effective the approaches and actions taken have been.

This study represents a collaborative effort by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to make such an assessment. It aims to inform the future work of these agencies around gender-based violence. It has two main components:

a) a broad overview of actions that have been taken towards ending all forms of violence against women in the Caribbean between 1992 and the present; and

b) an in-depth assessment of these actions in three countries.

Click here to download - Eliminating Gender-Based Violence - Ensuring Equality