Saint Lucia is observing Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (Nov. 25 – Dec. 10.) To this end, the Department of Gender Relations has organized activities to draw awareness to the observance particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Saint Lucia, basic skills training in psychological first aid will be held for first responders, to better equip them when dealing with victims of violence.

Director of Gender Relations, Ms. Janey Joseph, said such training is critical.

“It is important for first responders to be able to identify those persons who are in violent situations, if they need some support, to be able to listen empathically and to be able to link them to the services that they need. The training in psychological first aid is happening from Dec. 1 to 4. The Department of Gender Relations is targeting police officers, nurses, doctors, and agriculture and fisheries extension officers because these are the people who interact with ordinary citizens regularly—some of whom are vulnerable."

There will also be a day of remembrance for victims of gender-based violence, a day of prayer, and a video challenge dubbed Voix Ensemble where members of the public can publish clips of themselves online speaking out against gender-based violence.

The 2020 UNiTE Campaign theme is Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect. Ms. Joseph said the theme demonstrates that the response to gender-based violence is not limited to prevention.

"You cannot tackle gender-based violence without having a specific set of money aside that is designated to provide the services that are required. We cannot speak about ending gender-based violence if we don't speak about collecting data, analyzing that data and making data-informed decisions."

Orange is the uniting colour for ending gender-based violence. Members of the public are also encouraged to incorporate the colour into their outfits during the Sixteen Days of Activism.