Advocacy Group Take Issues to Government.
IS discrimination against women and children rooted in law and practice in St. Lucia?
Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia, a group which advocates for a safer environment for women and children, thinks so and expressed that concern to Home Affairs, Justice and National Security Minister, Hermangild Francis, and his Permanent Secretary, Elda Michel, last Friday.
The two parties met to discuss the status of the forensic laboratory; the establishment of a permanent hall of justice; rape, child abuse and domestic violence; review of protocols used at point of contact for victims of rape, child abuse and domestic violence and amendment and enactment of legislation to create equality and better access to justice for women and children.
“We wish to thank the Minister and Deputy Permanent Secretary for recognizing the abovenamed issues as critical and requiring immediate attention. The Minister has assured us that every effort will be made to allocate financial resources in the upcoming 2017/2018 budget to address these very important issues and to ensure the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is better able to solve and minimize crime; that women and children have better access to improved services and swift justice; also equality and institutionalized discrimination must be contained by amending and enacting outstanding and new legislation,” the group said in a statement yesterday.
The group is also concerned that discrimination and violence against women and children are persistent and widespread; that policymakers have failed to adopt legislation and policies to protect women and children from violence and discrimination and that where such laws exist, violators often go unpunished and impunity prevails. The group is also concerned that efforts to raise awareness on women and children’s rights are nonexistent.
“We recognize the need to mobilize all civil society and human rights organizations to work together to combat discrimination and violence against women and children. We reiterate that government has the primary responsibility to ensure respect for women and children’s rights and that the elimination of discrimination and violence against women and children is, above all, a matter of political will. We call upon our legislators to take all necessary measures to ensure respect for women and children’s rights, in particular to ratify without reservations the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, and to fully implement into law the Convention of the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the group stated.
The group also calls on Saint Lucians to protect women and children by ensuring their rights are upheld in every community, home and organization.
The group is currently advocating for the enactment of the following legislation: Child Justice Bill, Children (Care and Adoption) Bill, Domestic Violence Bill, Status of Children Bill, Status of Parenting Testing Procedures and Regulations Bill.
The group also wants the Civil Code to be amended regarding succession laws and removal of references to illegitimate and legitimate children to achieve parity among all children.
Amendment of the Affiliation Act to make child support dependent on a means test and not the stipulated $200 is also being advocated.
