UNFPA, in collaboration with the Bureau of Gender Affairs Jamaica (BGA), a division within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport in Jamaica, launched the Intersectoral and Interagency Referral Protocol and Standard Operating Procedures in June. 

Sectors are committed to improving the availability, accessibility, and quality of essential services in response to gender-based violence (GBV). This interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the BGA and selected Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) supports the continuum of care for the coordinated delivery of services for GBV survivors.

Hon. Olivia Grange CD, MP Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport thanked UNFPA and the European Union for this initiative, which she described as “a watershed for the gender architecture of Jamaica.” 

“Great changes come from the collective will to act,” Minister Grange said. “Today is a very important day because what we’re doing, we’re ensuring that we have in place a mechanism that will work for victims of gender-based violence.”

Deputy Director of the UNFPA SROC, Seth Broekman, said: “This interagency commitment is indeed a key milestone for the implementation of the National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence in Jamaica.” He shared that this is just another important step along a more comprehensive path to dealing with GBV in Jamaica.

Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen, Ambassador of the EU to Jamaica, reflected on the high value of protecting women and girls from sexual harassment. “Too often, and not only in Jamaica, we have seen government agencies competing and replicating actions that are directed at the same victims.” She highlighted the reality of compassion fatigue and the need for streamlining.

“Today’s MOU will facilitate a more seamless interface among state services providing services to GBV survivors and their families,” Dr. Garry Conille, the UN Resident Coordinator of Jamaica, added. “It is our hope that it will mobilize representatives from the health, justice, social services, and education sectors to ensure the build-out and implementation of this pathway.”

The Spotlight Initiative is a worldwide partnership between the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Click here to see a highlight of the launch.