NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, recently hosted representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to a Working Meeting during which they discussed several matters.

Key among the dialogue was the strengthening of the data collection and analysis process both of which greatly assist in better, more informed, decision-making; and assistance for the further development of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs (DGFA) curriculum development for children from K-12 that addresses eradicating all forms of violence, but especially violence against women and girls, while also eradicating stereotypes.  Discussions also took place on additional funding for the Women in Leadership Course. 

The delegations also held dialogue with regards to establishing training of trainers gender-based violence programmes that would include training for male perpetrators of gender-based violence which officials say should result in reduced repeat incidences of gender-based violence; and the training of First Line Responders to lend support to survivors of violence against women and girls.

Minister Campbell was accompanied by Ms. Sherrylee Smith, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development; Dr. Jacinta Higgs, Director, Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development; and First Assistant Secretary, Ms. Melvelyn Symonette, Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.  He labeled the Working Meeting – held in the Conference Room, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development - as “timely and productive.”

The IDB delegation was headed by Mrs. Laurence Telson, Senior Operations Specialist, Gender and Diversity Division Social Sector, IDB.  Mrs. Telson is responsible for providing analytical and operational input on gender issues in the Caribbean. She was accompanied by Mr. Michael Nelson, Chief of Operations, Country Office, Bahamas; Miss Natalie Bethel, Senior Operations Analyst, Country Office, Bahamas, and Mr. Latrell Russell, Operations Consultant, Country Office, Bahamas.

“The meeting with the representatives of the IDB was timely,” Minister Campbell said. “We seized the opportunity to make them aware of our desire to be assisted as it relates to data collection and analysis because that is an area that we have a weakness in -- showing the impacts of all of the programmes that we have implemented.

“The meeting also allowed us to have discussions around the topic of masculinity. We believe that the whole question of domestic violence and violence against women and girls is connected to this misconception of what masculinity is, particularly as it relates to those men and boys who are batterers and who for the most part, feel that violence against women and girls is somehow the way to show their masculinity.

“We further believe that if we start the conversation early by providing our men and boys with the necessary educational tools and know-how, that it can make a real difference in this fight to end violence against women and girls.”

The discussions were a follow-up to the Regional Masculinity Policy Meeting held in Kingston, Jamaica in May (2019) and in which representatives from the Department of Gender and Family Affairs participated. Dr. Higgs and Mr. Henry Johnson of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs were recipients of IDB sponsorship to the Masculinities Workshop.

The IDB delegation explored opportunities for the bank to support interventions dealing with gender-based violence and to discuss potential gaps in data collection and research on gender-based violence.

“The relationship is getting stronger as we attend more of these conferences, more of these seminars, which enables us to reach out even outside of a conference or a symposium to be able to get the kind of personal assistance that we are looking for,” Minister Campbell added.