NGO CAFRA TT calls for education to curb gender-based violence

THE NON-governmental organisation (NGO) CAFRA TT said education can help curb the scourge of gender based violence.

In a statement on Tuesday to commemorate International Women's Day, the group said, "It is clear that solutions at various levels are needed in the society: immediate (police presence, street lights); medium term (safe homes, registration of all taxis, digitised number plates); and long term (education, transforming the culture of violence)."

CAFRA TT said it examined some of these issues during a webinar it held last December, which examined the role of schools in ending gender based violence. The webinar highlighted the work of sociologists, educators, students and community organisations which aims to foster a culture of equality, respect and non-violence.

Pro  Rhoda Reddock, former deputy principal of UWI, and Roberta Clarke, president of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, argued that schools are critical institutions of socialisation because "they shape the character of children and provide young people with the skills to negotiate relationships positively. "

Referring to the 2018 National Women's Health Survey, CAFRA TT said, "It is estimated that one in every three women in the country has been subject to violence at the hands of their partners"

Reddock and Roberta Clarke told webinar participants that schools are critical institutions of socialisation because "they shape the character of children and provide young people with the skills to negotiate relationships positively.

At its webinar, the group said  Reddock observed that gender-based violence is normalised through the media and popular culture. During the webinar, CAFRA TT continued, reference was made to several pieces of legislation designed to prevent gender based violence.

CAFRA TT called for the acknowledgement of the tremendous opportunities that schools provide for shifting the pendulum to greater equality between men/boys and women/girls.