NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, and its various partners and stakeholders, continued their virtual seminar tour of the Family Islands (Thursday, May 27) with a stop in Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador.

The end result of the Virtual Tour that began April 29 with the first stop in Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, is to: “Build Bridges and Partnerships for Stronger, Safer, Communities” across the Commonwealth. Similar Tours have taken place in Abaco and its Cays (May 6, 2021) and Exuma and Ragged Island (May 13). Additional stops have been scheduled for Andros, Long Island, Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay and Grand Bahama, Bimini, and the Berry Islands.

The exercise is expected to lead to the establishment of Gender-Based Violence Family Island Coordinating Councils on each island. The responsibilities of the Family island Coordinating Councils will include: promoting Family Island education and awareness about safe and economically strong communities; monitoring and mitigating violence during disasters and humanitarian crises; coordinating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention projects and programmes, and organizing national and international observances on each island – particularly the “Say No to Violence 16 Days of Activism Campaign” held annually November 25 to December 10.

The membership of each Family Island Coordinating Council may include representatives from the office of the Island Administrator, Local Government Council, law enforcement, health, social services, education, church, business sector and non-governmental/non-profit organizations.

The tour is a collaboration of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, the Department of Social Services, the Ministry of Health, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Bahamas Crisis Centre, Zonta Club of New Providence, and the various Family Island Administrators.

The objective is to create synergy and advocacy and “to protect those at risk in The Bahamas, and to encourage a network that protects and seek out those cross-cutting issues and inequalities that affect homes, institutions and communities.”

Organizers said it is anticipated that the sessions will facilitate the implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Family Island Coordination Council (recommendation No. 6 Low Hanging Fruit – 2015 National Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence); prepare Family Island leaders to effectively respond to Gender-Based Violence issues before and during humanitarian crises; and provide Family Island leaders with capacity-building support for survivors of Gender-Based Violence while strengthening their advocacy for the “Say No to Violence 16 Days of Activism Campaign.”

Presenters from a cross-section of the Bahamian society are participating.

Participants include Family Island Administrators, Local Government Officials, Community leaders, Police Officers and other law enforcement officials, Social Workers, Healthcare workers, education officials and representatives from the various on-island Non-Governmental/Non-Profit Organizations, including Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs).

Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, said the training – conducted virtually due to the presence of the COVID-19 Pandemic -– is targeted to build Intra-agency and Inter-sectoral capacity for a national safety network.

“You were invited because of your role as island leaders, community builders, investors and key stakeholders within your island. Your participation in this vital training to prevent and resolve violence and render help and coordinating support during disasters and emergency events, is greatly valued.”

Officials at the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, the Zonta Club of New Providence, and the Bahamas Crisis Centre, will provide capacity-building support, training and certificates in matters of Disaster Preparedness and Management, Climate Change and Environmental Preservation, Non-Governmental application and compliance, economic and business development, and violence intervention and prevention.

“In 2020 we witnessed occurrences of violence within a few of our Family Islands which included domestic violence, Gender-Based Violence and other acts of violence at the community level,” Minister Campbell told his virtual audience. “These must be addressed and assessed with the help of you, the local community experts. The social ills and violence affecting families in The Bahamas is everybody’s business. The response to violence is indeed a multi-sectoral one. It is going to take every one of us and every sector of our society to address this public health issue. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to develop a coordinated national response to violence,” Minister Campbell added.