SEVEN years ago, a sensitisation and public consultation conducted by National Family Planning Board unveiled a troubling trend among youth in St Thomas: an increase in young women involved in multiple sexual relationships. This behaviour was linked to peer pressure, transactional sex, and experimentation. Notably, many of these young women came from emotionally unstable homes, leading them to seek validation, love and emotional solace from anyone — even individuals with malicious intentions.

Seven years later, the Angelic Ladies Society, recipients of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), remains vigilant in addressing the persistent challenges impacting young girls in St Thomas. Over a period of five months (from February to June 2023), the group actively engaged with and reached out to over 266 girls across three high schools (Robert Lightbourne High, Seaforth High and Donald Quarrie High School), as well as the Morant Bay branch of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation and the Area 2 Division Police Youth Club presidents. The outcomes of the interactions raised significant concerns and offered valuable insights into the ongoing landscape of sexual violence experienced by girls in the region.

During a specific session at one school, the group convened in a room with 24 girls who were pre-selected by the school’s guidance counsellor to participate in empowerment and motivational talk focused on themes of ‘self-worth, early sexual intercourse, and fulfilling our God-given purpose’. These students were identified as ‘problematic’ and ‘in need of guidance’.

“In the course of our session, it became apparent that 14 of these girls had been victims of sexual violence. Additionally, approximately four girls expressed suicidal ideation, while the remaining participants conveyed feelings of hopelessness and profound sadness,” said Sara-Lou Morgan-Walker, founder and executive director of The Angelic Ladies Society Ltd (ALS).

She said these expressions were written anonymously on sheets of paper collected as part of the ice-breaker activity at the beginning of the session.

At present, the primary focus of the project is to respond to the concerning statistics provided by the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse regarding sexual assault, sexual grooming, rape and incest. As of October 2023, the statistics revealed that 111 girls, aged 10-14, were victims of rape, underscoring the urgent need for action, Morgan-Walker said.

“The project is dedicated to addressing the prevalence of sexual assault incidences in the parish of St Thomas. It aims to achieve this by raising awareness about the harsh realities faced by vulnerable young women, guiding the community towards available resources for support, and presenting crucial data and information concerning sexual violence. Additionally, the project serves as a platform for survivors to #SpeakUp and break the silence surrounding these traumatic experiences,” she explained.

The #SheSpeaks Workshop is strategically crafted as sensitisation training aimed at informing and engaging the most vulnerable female students, specifically grade seven and eight girls aged between 10-14 years old. Concurrently, it seeks to empower and provide support to academic staff, grade supervisors, and the guidance counselling units across the six high schools.

The overarching goal is to equip school leadership and the wider community with the necessary skills to effectively facilitate conversations surrounding sexual assault. By doing so, the workshop endeavours to create sustainable tools that will contribute to the reduction of sexual assault incidences not only within schools but also in the surrounding communities.

“In a bid to tackle the alarming issue of sexual violence among students, the Angelic Ladies Society launched the #SheSpeaks project, generously funded by the CFLI,” said Morgan-Walker.

The CFLI provides modest funding for small-scale, high-impact projects in more than 120 countries.

“The project, which takes the form of interactive workshops, aims to raise awareness, provide support to girls in high schools, and engage middle managers within educational institutions. These workshops delve into the root causes behind students’ reluctance to report incidents of sexual assault — fear of blame, disbelief, and the daunting prospect of social stigma or online harassment loom large, as highlighted by both qualitative and quantitative data gathered during the sessions,“ Morgan-Walker added.

“Many students shared experiences of having their names or the names of people they know shown on the various school ‘mix-up’ [social media] pages. The project has also revealed that trustworthiness, loyalty, unreliable friendships, and the impact of isolation and loneliness are key reasons why girls refuse to talk and prefer to suffer in silence, cutting, drinking or crying.

“The workshops have uncovered a concerning lack of awareness among students and teachers regarding available support services, such as Safe Spot Ja, the Ministry of Education Youth Empowerment Officer, and Teen Hub St Thomas. Many students expressed a pressing need for alternative avenues of support beyond traditional channels like parents, guidance counsellors, or the police.”

Notably, the strain on school guidance departments has become increasingly apparent, with counsellors bearing the weight of counselling, investigating, reporting, and following up on cases, often without sufficient support.

“However, the Angelic Ladies Society seeks to fill this gap by providing emotional support after their sessions to students through prayer and the distribution of #SheSpeaks signature ‘I Deserve…’ key rings, aiming to empower them and remind them of their worth.”

She said in response to the workshops, schools have requested further sensitisation sessions for their entire academic and support staff, indicating a growing recognition of the importance of addressing sexual assault comprehensively within the school community.

“While the project primarily focuses on girls, there is acknowledgement of the need for similar initiatives tailored to boys, with encouragement for male organisations to engage in this vital conversation,“ Morgan-Walker said.

With over 300 girls and 130 teachers engaged across the six high schools in St Thomas, the #SheSpeaks project is poised to deliver its final statistics and recommendations at a closing ceremony in March.