Caribbean

On 12 January 2010, as witnessed with horror by many on their TV screens, Haiti was devastated by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake which traumatised the country and its people, led to vast loss of life, dramatic destitution and the uprooting of many Haitians. Thanks to donations from across the globe, including from YWCAs worldwide, as well as relief efforts from international humanitarian organisations, close to 900 Internally displaced persons (IDP) camps were set up for some 600,000 Haitians, over 300,000 of whom were women.

The YWCA and the UN SYSTEM in Trinidad and Tobago hosted a formal launch in the Borough of Chaguanas on November 25, 2011 to mark the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is an annual campaign observed across the world from November 25 International Day for the Elimination of Gender Based Violence to December 10, International Human Rights Day.

Quelle leçon de courage et de détermination que de rencontrer cette jeune délégation reçue comme nouvelle association membre des YWCA mondiales lors de la première session de travail du World Council 2011. Dans un pays parmi les plus pauvres de la planète et secoué par l’un des séismes les plus dévastateurs, un réseau d’amies à amies a permis de constituer une équipe d’une dizaine de jeunes femmes dynamiques : les premiers contacts avec l’Alliance mondiale ont eu lieu en 2007. Suite au Conseil mondial de Nairobi et avec le soutien des outils de management et de gouvernance de la World YWCA, elles ont bâti les fondements de l’association haïtienne, en travaillant d’entrée en réseau avec d’autres instances, dont la Coalition haïtienne pour les femmes vivant avec le VIH, dont elles sont devenues membres fondatrices. Leur intégration dans le réseau a été d’autant plus facilitée qu’elles ont fait profiter les autres institutions des outils proposés par le mouvement mondial.

YWCA of the US Virgin Islands (YWCA-USVI) held its Yellow Elder Celebration in Emancipation Park on April 2, 2011, as a follow-up to International Women’s Day hosted by the Governor’s wife, First Lady Cecile De Jongh. The Yellow Elder is celebrating women in the US Virgin Islands who perform with a spirit of excellence and creativity in all sectors and who serve as stalwarts in the community and demonstrate tenacity and resilience.

Over the last year the YWCA of Bahamas, in collaboration with Miss Bahamas Galaxy Pageant, has been organising various workshops for young women that serve to contribute to their personal development. The workshops dealt with etiquette, public speaking, learning to play golf, taking care of ones personal appearance and Bible Study. The YWCA of Bahamas offered its activity centre to the organisers of the beauty pageant, and on April 17, 2011, the Miss Bahamas Galaxy Pageant took place. The pageant is part of the youth programme and it aims to provide young girls with a safe environment where they can experience and explore a holistic approach to self-development, teamwork and the enhancement of their skills, social graces and moral ethics.

Between March 1 –13, 2011, Marie-Claude Julsaint, Global Programme Manager Violence Against Women (formerly World YWCA Programme Director for the Americas and the Caribbean), and Doreen Boyd, World YWCA consultant, visited the YWCAs of Antigua, Montserrat and Jamaica. These visits were made in the context of the Institutional Strengthening and Advocacy Capacity Building project, supported by the UN Women Caribbean Office, formerly UNIFEM Caribbean Office.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Presbyterian Church in Grenada, in collaboration with the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission (CANACOM), hosted the Caribbean Women’s Bible Study Workshop from January 13 – 19, 2011. Approximately 25 people participated in the workshop and participants included the Bible study leaders, pastors, bible study writers, lay people and young men and women.

The World YWCA and the World Alliance of YMCAs Week of Prayer and World Fellowship took place from November 14 – 20, 2010. Throughout the week, many YWCAs within the movement used this time as an opportunity to pray and reflect upon the ways in which they can act towards creating a safer world. One such Association was the YWCA of the US Virgin Islands (USVI).

The YWCA of Trinidad and Tobago (YWCATT), in collaboration with the United Nations System in Trinidad and Tobago, will commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign, which will be held from November 25 to December 10, 2010.

Ms. Marilyn Rice- Bowen President of the YWCA of Barbados was invited to the Caribbean launch of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” from October 11-12, 2010 in Barbados.