Caribbean YWCAs continue journey to create safe and secure communities
Only nine months after Caribbean YWCAs committed to intergenerational approaches on ending violence against women and the spread of HIV in the region, the World YWCA will hold a regional capacity building workshop mid February for Caribbean YWCAs to develop and strengthen their capacity to deliver on their commitment.
Co-facilitated by World YWCA Regional Programme Director Marie-Claude Julsaint and former World YWCA Deputy General Secretary Doreen Boyd, the regional initiative supported by the World YWCA Power to Change Fund will focus on capacity building, institutional strengthening and programme delivery.
“The workshops will develop a strategic planning process for the participating YWCA using the World YWCA Standards of Good Management and Accountability and other tools to reflect on the mission, vision, purpose of the association and what are the capacity gaps for women and girls in the community to become empowered rights-holders, “ explains Marie-Claude. The main expected outcome of the workshops is the outline of a strategic plan based on the World YWCA Strategic Framework for 2008/2012 and on the Caribbean YWCAs Regional Strategy on violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV.
The project is part of the four-year plan of work with member associations in the Americas and Caribbean and is a direct follow-up of the Caribbean YWCAs Regional Training Institute which took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad in May 2009 and its key outcome, the Caribbean YWCAs Regional Strategy on Violence against Women, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and HIV.
Currently, there are 12 national member associations in the region including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago with YWCA developing groups in Haiti and in the US Virgin Islands. “These YWCAs are all at different stages of organisational and programmatic development, but throughout their long history as a regional movement, the record shows a consistent, high quality provision of services to women and girls. Their collective programmes include day care centres, primary schools, vocational and skills training centres, sports and gym/health facilities. The YWCA is also known in the region as the place where women, including young women and girls, are empowered to make informed choices about their lives and are prepared to seek employment for economic improvement and self–reliance, “ says Doreen Boyd.
The training responds to the Caribbean YWCAs’ identified need to strengthen leadership, organisational capacity, advocacy, good governance and programmes with a human rights based approach. Phase One of the training will take place with the YWCA of Grenada the YWCA of the Virgin Islands with Phase Two to be confirmed in the next few months.
“The Power to Change Fund is enabling us to implement something so important for the Caribbean YWCAs and I am honoured to have this opportunity to work with Doreen Boyd in one of the ways that the YWCA does so well, volunteers and staff working together, ” says Marie-Claude.
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