By Alian Ollivierre-Skeete | Project Leader
We have had quite an influx of new donors to our project, over the past year, and this has really been extremely encouraging.
We also acknowledge that while we have also had one-off and long standing donor contributions and recurring donors, who are our rockstars, many may not fully be aware of all components of the challenges girls face in Barbados in 2023.
So this report will help to even the playing field of knowledge and provide further insight into the current state of affairs, and what your contributions have led to, to date.
Background History:
Barbados is a small island nation located in the Caribbean region with a population of around 287,000+ people.
While Barbados is considered to be one of the more developed countries in the Caribbean, there are still significant challenges that impact the lives of girls and young women in the country.
These challenges include, but are not limited to, limited economic opportunities, increase sexual exploitation by way of incest and limited climate resiliency, as a result of poverty.
In this report, we will explore the specific needs of girls in Barbados and how your continued support can help to address these needs.
Economic Empowerment:
Girls in Barbados face challenges when it comes to economic empowerment. They often have limited access to economic opportunities, and when they do, they are frequently paid less than their male counterparts.
While our project specifically addresses emergency housing for girls in instances of homelessness, displacement and/or being simply put out, we strongly believe that without a combination of economic empowerment, true long term impact would be impossible.
Supporting initiatives like ours, also provides girls with access to entrepreneurship training, funding for small businesses, internships and job training programmes. These initiatives can help girls build their skills and increase their economic opportunities, which can have a positive impact on their lives and the overall economy of Barbados.
Sexual Exploitation:
One of the most pressing issues is the prevalence of gender-based violence and abuse, which disproportionately affects girls. Many girls in Barbados experience these violations both within and outside the home, with rising numbers of incest, and there are concerns that this violence is not being adequately addressed or prevented.
In many instances, due to the lack of needs being met within the household; i.e. adequate food supply, hygiene support and basic needs like water, electricity and internet, many girls are forced or coerced to exchange sexual favours for money and/or the coverage of needs within the household, usually by persons familiar to the family.
Supporting initiatives like ours, provides girls with access to tangible support so that there is no space for those acts to be accepted and/or tolerated. It also ensured that girls:
1. continue to successfully remain in school for their own educational development, thus, improving access to education for girls and increase their chances of success in the future.
2. continue to maintain and/or improve the healthy outcomes for girls in terms of their sexual and reproductive health, as well as their mental wellness.
Climate Justice:
Climate change poses a significant threat to the lives and livelihoods of people in Barbados, particularly girls and young women. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts can disrupt food production, damage infrastructure, and lead to displacement and loss of life.
We have seen how the lack of resiliency, based on poverty and poor infrastructure, has lead to girls' displacement, inability to attend school and/or keep up with the demand of school and reduction in nutrition, for example.
Your support to date, has provided a range of stability for our girls, that their is less worry. We do not always fully understand the beauty that exists when a child can be just that, a child.
With all that said, we hope we have been able to paint a small picture of the state of human rights inefficiencies for girls in Barbados, especially when it comes to education, health, and economic empowerment.
You can help address these needs by continuing to support this worthwhile cause. By investing in girls, we can help build a brighter future for Barbados, the Caribbean and empower a new generation of leaders and trailblazers.
We hope you will continue to also share with others of this good work, and provide us with some feedback about what more you would like to be updated on.
Thank you for all you have done, we truly appreciate you!!!
Links:
By Alian Ollivierre-Skeete | Project Leader
By Alian Ollivierre-Skeete | Project Leader
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