Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Nearly 15 per cent of Jamaican women experience violence from a male partner
#Kingston, November 23, 2018 – Jamaica – Nearly 15 per cent of all women in Jamaica, aged 15 to 49, who have ever married or partnered have experienced physical or sexual violence from a male partner in the previous 12 months. This was revealed by Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, as he addressed a public 
forum on gender-based violence on Wednesday (November 21), at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew.
He was citing statistics from the Ministry’s soon-to-be released 2017 Knowledge, Attitude, Belief and Practice (KABP) report, which covers intimate-partner violence. He said that based on the report, the most prevalent violent acts experienced by women are: being pushed or shoved (17.7 per cent); being slapped or having something thrown at them that could inflict harm (16.8 per cent); and being hit with a fist or something that could cause harm (15.6 per cent).
He noted that 3.7 per cent per cent of the respondents reported being afraid of what their abuser would do if they refused to have sexual intercourse.
“Women who are the victims of sexual violence in particular, we know, are more vulnerable to HIV infection, given that HIV transmission risk increases in violent or forced-sex scenarios,” he pointed out.
He argued that the fear of stigma associated with HIV may prevent women who are victims of sexual violence from being tested or otherwise from returning for the results and that those living with HIV may not even report the incident out of fear of being re-victimised.
Dr. Tufton said that the Ministry of Health cooperates with the Ministry of Justice in handling reported cases of sexual violence, and although there are some challenges the Ministry is determined to overcome them.
“We are already on course to ensure access to care and the best possible health outcomes for our people, including women and girls and key populations” he said.
According to the Minister, a first step is education and raising awareness among those tasked to deliver care, to ensure that they do so, not only with efficiency but also with sensitivity.
“There are more than a few stones to dodge and hurdles to scale violence against women and gender-based violence. However, the Ministry of Health is committed and, working together with our non-governmental partners and other stakeholders, including the European Union (EU), we will get there,” he pledged.
The forum on gender-based violence was staged by Jamaica AIDS Support for Life in association with the EU, under the theme ‘Unmasking Violence against Women in the context of HIV and AIDS: Improving the National 
Response’.
Dr. Tufton hailed the staging of the session, noting that “this is an important public discussion on an issue that has far-reaching sustainable development implications for Jamaica”. He said that gender-based violence cannot be ignored, based on the wide-ranging effect that it is likely to have on the country.
“Violence against women and gender-based violence as drivers of HIV infection among Jamaicans require urgent and sustained collaborative action in the public health interest,” he said.
Release: JIS
Contact: Peta-Gay – Hodges
Photo Caption: Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (centre), speaks with Executive Director of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), Kandasi Levermore (left), at a public forum on gender-based violence held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, St. Andrew, on Wednesday (November 21). At left is Head of Delegation, European Union (EU) in Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska. The forum, entitled ‘Unmasking Violence against Women in the Context of HIV and AIDS: Improving the National Response’, was hosted by JASL in association with the EU.
Photo: Dave Reid
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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