Report on Grenada - 51st CEDAW Session
On February 15th , at the second session of the 51st CEDAW 2012 the government of Grenada presented their report on the progress and implementation of CEDAW. It was an historic event as it was the first time that the government of Grenada had reported to the CEDAW Committee since Grenada ratified CEDAW back in August 1990, 22 years ago. Stephen Fletcher, the Grenadian Ambassador in Brussels was the singular delegate presenting the Grenada government report and responding to questions from the CEDAW Committee experts.
In his address to the CEDAW committee Ambassador Fletcher, voiced “My singular presence here reflects the serious challenge and indeed dichotomy faced by Grenada. A singular presence imposed upon the state by a combination of resource and administrative constraints”. However, Ambassador Fletcher went on to highlight that Grenada since ratifying CEDAW had in fact made steady progress towards the advancement of women in many areas. Although Grenada had not fulfilled their reporting obligations the government has and will continue to work towards women’s empowerment and gender equality.
In 2010, Grenada legislation passed 3 significant laws and policies directly related to women’s empowerment; the Domestic Violence Act, Child (Protection and Adoption) Act and Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Protocol. However, the NGO Shadow report which highlights the situation of women in Grenada articulates that gender based violence and sexual abuse of minors is disproportionately high in the context of Grenada’s population. Tragically, despite the prevalence of gender based violence there is only one shelter for women who are survivors of violence. Furthermore, the NGO Shadow report states that gender inequality is not defined in domestic legislation and the Grenada constitution does not integrate CEDAW as the constitution dates back to 1973 and has not been reformed since the ratification of CEDAW in 1990. Hence, the NGO community calls for a constitutional reform and recommends the establishment of a national machinery to monitor CEDAW implementation.
Marie-Claude Julsaint, World YWCA Global Programme Manager of Violence Against Women, attended the session and related some of the keys challenges for women and young women in Grenada “Internal trafficking of young girls for forced prostitution remains a major concern. There is a higher incidence of HIV among young women aged 15-24. There is a significant lack of sexual and reproductive health rights for women and girls. Young women under 18 years old need parental consent to access contraceptives and there is a 10 year prison sentence for abortion. The YWCA of Grenada, in partnership with other local women’s organisations, are empowering young women and girls to claim their rights”. It is a proven fact, that by criminalising abortion, governments push the issue further underground resulting in unsafe abortions and very often maternal death. An indicator of the limited access to contraceptives is the increasing rate of pregnancy amongst young girls resulting in many dropping out of school and not obtaining the qualifications or skills they need for family sustaining employment. It was stated during the session that 15% of girls who drop out of school do so due to pregnancy.
‘Barrel syndrome’- the migration of women and young women (usually mothers) to neighbouring islands such as Trinidad and Barbados to seek better employment opportunities; was also sighted as a concern. The children of these migrant workers are left behind in Grenada and are vulnerable to poverty, trafficking and sexual abuse.
In response to these realities the NGO community gave recommendations that gender policy on which NGO’s are not yet consulted should contain a component on affirmative action relative to gender equality and women in decision-making positions. In relation to CEDAW Article 5: Gender Roles, the NGO community urged the Grenadian government to ensure that girls and boys have equal access and opportunities in education and later on in employment to eliminate gender stereotypes, and also to sustain public awareness on this issue.
Ambassador Fletcher noted these recommendations and responded to the CEDAW Committee experts. In his response, he shared new legislation is now being considered including; Spousal Maintenance Bill, Child Maintenance Bill, Sexual Harassment Bill and amendments to the sexual offence provisions in the Criminal Code as martial rape is not presently criminalised.
The 51st CEDAW session has no doubt been a historical moment for the Grenadian government, Grenadian civil society, Grenadian women, young women and girls. The YWCA of Grenada in partnership with local women’s organisations, provides services and advocates for women’s rights.
