#Nassau, August 10, 2019 – Bahamas – Female law enforcement officials from all ranks and across the government sector, were hosted to a one-day ‘Women, Peace and Security’ Workshop by staff of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs (DGFA), Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.
The
session was also attended by Ms. Maria Kelley, Executive Secretary,
Secretariat, the National Commission for Persons with Disability. The
Commission serves as an advocate for the community of persons with
disabilities.
The workshop,
which took place on Wednesday (August 7), allowed Department of Gender and
Family Affairs to apprise the law enforcement officials of a number of key
regional and international conventions to which The Bahamas is a States Party
(Signatory), and how those conventions relate to their jobs and the protection
of human rights.
They
include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action and its 12 critical
areas of concern, and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention,
Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women (Belem do Para).
Wednesday’s
workshop, was a forerunner to a series of educational and awareness initiatives
on the Department’s agenda, and further allowed the law enforcement officials
“to be guided and made aware of” the importance of documentation/data
collection with regards to the functionality of their respective offices and in
the decision-making process.
It
further afforded the DGFA to apprise the officials of the Department’s
expanded, and expanding role, particularly as it relates to reporting at the
regional and international levels on the mechanisms, laws, protocols and
strategies the country has in place that address the Conventions, Treaties and
Agreements.
The
workshop targeted officials from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal
Bahamas Defence Force, Bahamas Customs Department, the Department of
Immigration, Road Traffic Department and the Department of Correctional
Services.
“The
Bahamas Government signed onto about ten international and regional
Conventions, Treaties and Agreements that have been ratified which means that
our country has a legal obligation for the Government, all governments, to
fulfill the various articles of these Conventions,” Director of the Department
of Gender and Family Affairs, Dr. Jacinta Higgs said, noting that personnel in
each Ministry of government must be made aware of what is expected of them with
regards to implementing human rights and protection for every citizen of every
country.
She
said, “On Wednesday, we began with the female law enforcement officials so that
we could begin to share with them what is expected of them regarding these
international Treaties, Agreements and Conventions and how they relate to their
jobs.”
The
sessions were conducted by DGFA staff in the areas of the Role of Education
regarding the Rights of Women and Children, the CEDAW Convention, Belem do Para
and MESECVI, the Role of Law Enforcement in Rehabilitation and Protecting the
Rights of Women Prisoners and Detainees, Gender-based Violence, and Sexual
Harassment.
Presenters included Ms. Vechenda Roberts, Education Officer, Department of Gender and Family Affairs; Miss Allicia Role, Gender Programme Officer, Department of Gender and Family Affairs, whose work is in international conventions; Mrs. Elaine Sands, Gender-based Violence Expert, Department of Gender and Family Affairs, who presented on the Convention of Belem, MESECVI, and Human Rights; Mr. Henry Johnson, Gender-based Violence Expert and Male Programme Coordinator, Department of Gender and Family Affairs who presented on the Role of Law Enforcement in Rehabilitation and Protecting the Rights of Women Prisoners and Detainees; and Ms. Simone Bridgewater, Gender-based Violence Coordinator, Department of Gender and Family Affairs.
By Matt Maura
Photo Captions:
Header: Officials from the Department of Gender and Family Affairs Wednesday (August 7, 2019) hosted female law enforcement officials to a one-day workshop on the topic: ‘Women, Peace and Security’ held at the Community Affairs Division, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.
Insert: Retired Superintendent of Police, Mrs. Elaine Sands (centre) pictured with Superintendent of Police, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Crislyn Skippings (left) and Assistant Superintendent of Police, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Dr. Indirah Adderley, Ph.D., prior to the start of the one-day workshop on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ hosted by the Department of Gender and Family Affairs. The training was conducted by DGFA staff. Mrs. Sands is one of two staff members who have earned the designation of CARICOM Gender-Based Violence Expert.
Release: BIS