Despite hiccups and challenges, various stakeholders came forward to pledge their support to the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA) in its effort to open their pilot one stop shop to help gender-based violence (GBV) victims.
During a February 8 press conference held at the GPPA office on Deponthieu Street, St George, stakeholders were excited about the initiative that is set to begin in the first quarter of 2024.
According to Project Coordinator at the association, Sherry-Ann Joseph, the initiative began last year after discovering that a place was needed for victims of gender based violence.
Joseph described the event as “a memorable day” for the GPPA and its partners because it was in January of 2023 that the organisation started the implementation of its first project funded by CFLI.
She recalled that the postmodern held at the completion of the project in March 2023 concluded that there was a need to have a single space in which people who experienced GBV can be interviewed and be in a position to access “timely healthcare”.
During the pilot phase, the ground floor of the GPPA centre was transformed from a storage area into a conferencing area.
Joseph noted that a medical practitioner was added to the staff “to provide medical care to patients and the medical room was outfitted with an ultrasound machine and gynaecology bed.”
Despite the delays in the project, according to the project coordinator, organisations have been assisting the GPPA in making the plan a reality.
Joseph disclosed that a protocol is being worked out to ensure that the services that are currently being developed will ensure all service providers are contacted in a timely manner.
“Centre staff and staff of partnering organisations involved are scheduled to participate in training activities to ensure best practices are employed at the centre,” she said.
Joseph reiterated that the one stop shop will help GBV survivors and cater to their varying needs.
“The one stop centre will assist all survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), including children in Grenada. The centre will support the needs of GBV survivors in all their diversity, especially women and girls who have experienced sexual violence, physical violence and other forms of violence or abuse from intimate and non-intimate partners by offering care and counselling in a timely, efficient and appropriate manner,” she said.
Joseph identified the various stakeholders linked to the project such as the Special Victims Unit of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), Ministry of Health, Child Protection Authority, Ministry of Social and Community Development and Gender Affairs.
GPPA President Dr. Tonia Frame spoke on the stakeholder’s involvement in the project.
She said: “This is a collaboration that not just started this year, it’s a collaboration that we’ve been building for over a year now with these partners in different capacities.”
“…It is a true collaboration of partners. So we’re going to be calling on government and on other civil society partners, are going to be calling on the wider society to show its support for the centre once we start delivering the services,” she added.
Dr. Frame stressed that confidentially will be the focal point in the new centre.
“…The issue of confidentiality and privacy is one of the main factors that this centre will address. We’re building on the reputation that (GPPA) has for confidentiality,” she said.
The President also touched on the training that has been conducted in order for staff to gain knowledge on how to operate on the job and to be able to effectively deal with victims.
“A number of training activities have been ongoing across the essential service sectors for police, for the legal sector, for health and for the social services sector.
“The people who will be working in the one stop centre, they have been undergoing training and that training will continue in the month of February and it will be ongoing to ensure that everything is in place so that these sectors can now work together under one roof as part of the one stop centre to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality issues are addressed, to ensure that the timeliness of the services are addressed and people are not falling through the cracks and are getting the services that they require.”
Representing RGPF at the ceremony was Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Inspector Frankie Roberts who pledged the support of the lawmen for the work of the centre.
“…We are part of this collaborative effort which deals with effective and efficient holistic approach, dealing with persons who have experienced some form of violence or domestic issues against them.
‘We pledge our continued support in the fight towards providing effective and efficient support to those victims and other stakeholders who have pledged their involvement in dealing with this issue.”