The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Organisation for Responsible Governance is mobilising youth activists to bring awareness to Gender based Violence in its latest programme.

ORG’s latest explanation of its Me, You, Us Youth Saloon project included 23 young adults to be involved in helping the youth of The Bahamas gain awareness of Gender Based Violence and strategies to decrease the issues in the country.

The group includes both high school and university students who worked alongside Delsanea Thompson, the project lead and ORG’s administrative manager, over a three-month span investigating the causes and solutions around GBV. The group was then designated to develop a public education campaign that would have an impact with other youth.

Ms Thompson, who travelled in June to the Dominican Republic for the Caribbean United Against GBV conference, emphasised that gender-based violence is a global community health problem that affects one out of every three women and girls at some point in their lives. It is any act that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women.

“While ORG itself is not positioned as a GBV expert in The Bahamas, we are very much invested in ensuring that Bahamian youth become active voices in our community. Through a social emotional learning approach, this group can be a catalyst for their peers,” said Ms Thompson.

“This is a gender-based programme, but for us it’s about social education and about activating youth activists. The format of our project was to get youth to develop tools that would speak to their peers about this topic. Programmes like this all speak to the power of youth creating ways to discuss these issues with their peers.”

This year’s cohort decided to create a three-part video series titled, “Listen Up” as its main project to help spread awareness and knowledge on gender-based violence in the country. The series allowed participants to talk about their thoughts and opinions on the issue. The series will be launched online on ORG’s social media platforms in July.

One of the participants, Talitha Pratt, a 21-year-old student at the University of The Bahamas said: “I saw the increase of domestic violence that has been happening throughout the pandemic and the various statistics. I wanted to find a way to help in any way that I can, whether it’s a comforting word. I wanted to be part of a programme that wants justice and that would find ways to help victims.”

Another participant, 19-year-old Johnnecia Pinder added: “I joined this programme because I wanted to gain more knowledge on gender-based violence as well as bring awareness to it. I felt that this conversation is important so that persons would feel comfortable enough to speak out about it.”

This group’s GBV programme provided a platform for participants to speak with experts that are a part of NGOs Equality Bahamas and The Bahamas Crisis Centre to get a better understanding of the issue.

ORG’s Executive Director, Matt Aubrey noted: “Unsurprisingly, one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is to eliminate GBV within the next nine years. We are proud of the 23 youth activists who have shown such great interest and commitment to raising awareness and adding to the momentum toward ending violence against women and girls.”

ORG hopes through efforts like this to develop a more empowered people who have the knowledge to advocate for important issues.