Team members of Flamingo Gardens Urban Renewal Centre have joined commemoration of the International Campaign of Sixteen Days of Activism to End Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls. The local observance of the 16 Days Campaign as it is also known, is a collaboration between the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, Zonta Clubs of The Bahamas, The Bahamas Crisis Centre and numerous other non-governmental organizations that have joined forces in the fight to end Gender-based violence within The Bahamas.
The annual campaign began Wednesday, November 25, with the observance of the International Day to End Violence against Women and Girls and concludes Thursday, December 10 – the annual global observance of International Human Rights Day. The Campaign is observed in more than 200 countries around the globe.
Flamingo Gardens Urban Renewal Centre “went orange” in support of the Campaign. Led by Centre Manager, Mrs. Nicole Miller-Nabbie, Centre personnel went throughout the community placing orange ribbons in high visibility areas such as the Carmichael Road Police Station, the Flamingo Gardens Community Clinic, the Carmichael Road Sub-Post Office and the Carmichael Road Library, in an effort to bring awareness to the need to end gender-based violence.
Orange is the colour that is being used to bring even greater focus to the collective need to end all forms of violence – physical, psychological, economic and cyber violence -- against women and girls in particular, but also men and boys.
Mrs. Miller-Nabbie said her team members were grateful for the opportunity to play a role in helping to further spread the message about the need to end all forms of violence, but particularly violence against women and girls, at the community level.
“This is a cause we support whole-heartedly,” Mrs. Miller-Nabbie said. “To be able to do our part to raise awareness, to be able to help educate persons within our community with regards to the negative impacts of violence; to be able to speak out against violence against women and all forms of violence in our communities, is just another great way in which we can impact our community.”
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, applauded the move. Centre Manager Miller-Nabbie, and team member, Mrs. Cyke Greenslade, presented Minister Campbell with orange ribbons to commemorate the occasion.
“It has always been made clear that it is my intent to have one ministry and so this initiative is demonstrative of that. Urban has stepped in to be a part of a nation-wide commemoration that is a growing partnership. We are all in this together and so each department within the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development is expected to celebrate with, and to support, what the others are doing. I am delighted to see it coming together in this way and for such a significant celebration.”
Minister Campbell said the participation of the Urban Renewal Centres in the 16 Days Campaign has added significance.
“It provides us with yet another opportunity to take the message even further into our inner-city communities as Urban has a presence in communities throughout The Bahamas. Anything Urban has carriage for reaches far and wide throughout The Bahamas where our team members have established personal relationships with the various groupings of persons in the communities they serve and so the message carries even further.
“I am satisfied that their being on board helps the message to reach the various demographics that reside in these communities, which is the objective of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign,” Minister Campbell added.
Minister Campbell applauded all of the partners for their efforts in the fight to end gender-based violence.
“The level of commitment demonstrated by all of the organizations that play vital roles in the fight to end gender-based violence in our country is unquestionable, is above and beyond, as they work to ensure this message gets out,” Minister Campbell said.
“I believe that as we go forward, as we continue to do these things even outside of the parameters of the 16 Days of Activism, that the sensitivity and awareness that would have been created, will carry over.”
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell is assisted in adorning one of the pillars at the Ministry’s Headquarters by Mrs. Nicole Miller-Nabbie (right) and Mrs. Cyke Greenslade of the Flamingo Gardens Urban Renewal Centre as they commemorate the International Campaign of 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls. More than 200 global countries have joined in the observance. (BIS Photo/Matt Maura) Minister Campbell with (from left) Miss Torree Musgrove, Research Analyst, Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development; Mrs. Cyke Greenslade, Flamingo Gardens Urban Renewal Centre; Mrs. Nicole Miller-Nabbie, Centre Manager, Flamingo Gardens Urban Renewal Centre; and Ms. Vechenda Roberts, Education Officer, Department of Gender and Family Affairs. (BIS Photo/Matt Maura)
By Matt Maura
