In the midst of the International 16 Days of Activism, the campaign will run for 6 months until June 2024, using a variety of communication tools and media: billboards, information kits, debates on TV and radio programmes and social media. The second highlight of the campaign will be International Women's Rights Day on 8 March 2024.
“With the passage of the Domestic Violence Act [the French assistance] has become even stronger. In the coming months and for the next two years, we will be out there educating our Saint Lucian people - the young, the men and the women as to why we must live in a peaceful society with each other. We have to live as friends, and family and have a very productive life,” Gender Affairs Minister Virginia Albert-Poyotte said. The Minister underscores the importance of public education in reducing the occurrence of gender-based violence.
Saint Lucia continues to grapple with the violent killings of women and increasing instances of missing girls. Sasha Polius, Keziah Wilson and Stephanie Thomas are just some of the women who were killed violently in the last two years. While citizens continue to demand justice for their loved ones, there is also a demand by law enforcement for instances of gender-based violence to be reported.
French Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Francis Etienne, is calling on all quarters of society to fight the battle against gender-based violence.
“We know how damage domestic gender-based violence is, we know what kind of damage it is causing and we have [to come] together to fight against it. We want to make the [Saint Lucian] people committed against violence, wherever it may be,” he appealed.
Currently, France stands as the foremost global financier of feminist organizations. President Macron's announcement in 2019 introduced the Support Fund for Feminist Organisations, which is set to receive €250 million over a span of 5 years starting from 2023.