Break the Silence – the Institute of Gender & Development Studies (IGDS) action-research programme geared towards ending child sexual abuse (CSA) – will implement new interventions this year thanks to a partnership with the Bankers Association of T&T (BATT).
BATT has pledged $488,000 over a six month period to help IGDS continue the action-research project originally led by Professor Emerita Rhoda Reddock and Prof Sandra Reid from 2008 to 2011, and the continuing Blue Teddy campaign. The funding will assist with further impact evaluation, and sponsor new community interventions and evidence-based advocacy surrounding CSA as well as gender-based violence.
IGDS and BATT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and formed an MOU Oversight Committee in November 2022. The committee comprises 10 member organisations including IGDS, BATT, the Children’s Authority of T&T, The UWI St Augustine Social Work Unit, the Ministry of Social Development, the United Nations Children's Fund, and others. The first meeting of the committee will be held in February 2023.
Break the Silence was a watershed in The UWI St Augustine activist movement which arguably altered the landscape locally. The project resulted in the publication of three scholarly articles in international journals; a regional conference; a wide-reaching media campaign; numerous community projects (including walks and art projects at schools); a teacher’s toolkit; guidelines for service providers; and five policy briefs. A book based on the findings of the research is forthcoming. The project also arguably changed public attitudes towards CSA.
“...since then, the whole climate related to child sexual abuse has changed,” said Prof Reddock. “The numbers of reports to the police have increased. When we first started, there were very few reports. Now, we have more and convictions as well. Media reporting has also improved. That doesn’t mean [CSA] has ended, but we did generate awareness, and empowered young people to report to their parents or teachers, and parents to seek help.”
She added, “We would like to move the campaign beyond the university toward wide public ownership. This could allow the community outreach work to be revitalised to encourage independent action by organisations and communities. I think the support from the BATT is important to sustain the work of the network and to allow its reach to be expanded.”
Details of new interventions are still in the planning stage, however, Prof Reddock believes there should be renewed focus on advocating for the introduction of age appropriate sexuality education in schools to empower young people.
BATT Executive Director Kelly Bute-Seaton, who will be representing BATT on the committee, noted that societal changes required multi-tiered approaches.
“The gravity of child abuse and gender-based violence in our country is undeniable and destroys the fabric of our communities. The solutions to these scourges don’t reside in any one person or entity. They are societal,” she said.
“So, it’s important that we look at these things as a collective. It requires our collective action. I believe the holistic approach requires not just the intervention of NGOs and civil society, but also government and corporate. This gives corporate entities an opportunity to use their influence to elevate some of these matters in national conversation, to help influence policy and to contribute financially to initiatives that will improve our communities.”
For more information on the Break the Silence campaign, visit the IGDS website at https://sta.uwi.edu/igds/breakthesilence/.
1 In 2014, Prof Reddock and Dr Sandra Reid were awarded the UWI-NGC Most Impactful Research Award for their work on this project. This project was funded by the UNITE Campaign, UNICEF and The UWI St Augustine Research and Development Impact Fund.
