Bureau of Women's Affairs to embark on advocacy campaign

The Bureau of Women's Affairs will, on Wednesday, launch a three-month social media campaign aimed at providing a platform for advocacy and collaboration around the issue of gender-based violence, particularly as it affects women and girls.

The initiative, which will be undertaken in partnership with a wide cross-section of stakeholders, is also intended to facilitate constructive conversations on strategies to eliminate violence against women and girls.

This was disclosed by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in a message read by Minister with responsibility for Information Senator Sandrea Falconer during yesterday's commemorative church service at the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew to launch the observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The day will be observed on November 25 under the theme: 'Violence Does not Discriminate: Unite to End Gender-Based Violence'.

Sensitisation activities

Simpson Miller indicated that the campaign would entail a series of sensitisation activities being undertaken across several parishes to heighten public awareness of the National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-based Violence in Jamaica.

The plan is a comprehensive multi-sectoral framework, involving partnerships incorporating government agencies, civil society groups, international development agencies, the private sector, and other key stakeholders.

The prime minister said it was designed to raise awareness of and provide guidance for developing and implementing programmes and strategies to address the incidence of violence against women and girls in a coordinated and holistic manner.

The bureau's media campaign also aims to engage men and boys as advocates and agents of change to challenge harmful social cultural norms and gender stereotypes, as well as to re-engage youth, in particular millennials, through social media, to create and disseminate anti-violent and empowering messages to accelerate progress towards achieving gender equality.

Each year, November 25 is observed as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

On that day, groups and persons globally pause to pay tribute to women and girls all over the world who are, or who have been, victims, particularly of gender-based violence.