While noting that the Government is taking a series of legislative steps to reduce instances of violence against women and children, Gender Affairs Minister Olivia Grange has delivered an impassioned plea for a multi-stakeholder effort to assist in eliminating the scourge.

Minister Grange made the call during a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday where she stated that the Government is redoubling its efforts to tackle the problem.

“I also take this opportunity to encourage all of us to do something to end the violence in our country. The violence isn’t inevitable and it can be stopped. We have seen the dramatic and welcome decrease in all crime including murders in our country. This gives me hope as we continue our mission to end violence against women and girls in Jamaica,” Grange commented.

She urged all well-thinking Jamaicans to let an advocacy walk against violence towards women and girls which took place earlier this week to not only be symbolic but a call to sustained action.

“Let us all – men and women – rise with one voice to say: Enough is enough. Let us be united in the fight against violence against women and girls. The campaign must transcend politics. Let us unite to rid the nation of this scourge. We must all join hands in unity and be the change to end violence against women and girls in Jamaica,” Grange told Parliament.

Minister Grange told the House that yet again she has been moved to use a statement to Parliament to speak out against violence against women and to recruit more members of society in the important mission to end violence against women and girls.

The Gender Affairs Minister said she is confident that the entire House would join her in condemning the most recent acts of violence against females that have been brought to public notice including:

– the horrific killing of nine year-old Kelsey Ferrigon from her constituency;

– the University of Technology student, Anisa Dilworth, who was reported missing and whose body was recently discovered;

– and the seemingly random, brutal attack on a defenceless nurse by a coward holding a gun.

“The viral video of the attack on the nurse has quite rightly angered the nation and was the motivation for demonstrations towards ending violence against women and girls yesterday (Monday),” said Grange.

“I attended the Advocacy Walk Against Violence Towards Women and Girls, along with other members of this Parliament. We went to listen, to commiserate, and to express our commitment to protecting women, punishing perpetrators of violence, and ending the violence. We can end the violence. But it requires all of us to end the violence. Each of us has a role to play,” Grange added.

She noted that the government has brought a raft of policy and legislative initiatives to deal with the violence in all its forms and has strengthened and proposed further strengthening of laws to include stronger and more appropriate penalties.

“Just recently, this House debated the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill, the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Bill and the Child Care Protection (Amendment) Bill, which seek to appropriately treat with and increase the penalties for the offence of murder under Jamaican law. In 2023, amendments to the Domestic Violence Act were passed to offer greater protection for victims and survivors”, she commented.

The minister noted that the amendments include:

– Expansion of the category of persons allowed to apply for protection orders on behalf of the abused; including the Children’s Advocate and the Bureau of Gender Affairs;

– The Court can now direct respondents to relinquish to the police any firearm or weapon which the respondent may have in their possession or control, and which may or may not have been used; and

– The penalty for breaching a protection order has been increased to a fine of $1 million or imprisonment for one year.

Grange also reiterated to Parliament that a Joint Select Committee has been meeting to review and consider further amendments to the Domestic Violence Act. The public was invited to make submissions which have now been compiled. The Committee will meet over the next two months to complete the overhaul of the Act.