U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Pamela White hosted Thursday a roundtable discussion with members of the international community, Government of Haiti, parliamentarians, politicians, and civil society about fighting Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Haiti.

Among the distinguished guests were Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, Mrs. Sandra Honoré; Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Florence Duperval-Guillaume; Minister of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, Mrs. Magalie Racine; Minister of Culture, Mrs. Josette Darguste; Cabinet member of the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Ms. Marie Carmelle Lafontant; Deputy Marie Josie Etienne, who won the U.S. Embassy’s 2013 Women of Courage Award.

Ambassador of the United States, Pamela White, with participants in the meeting

This gathering is part of an ongoing series of roundtable discussions focusing on women’s issues, and finding solutions to strengthen and empower women in Haiti. This inaugural meeting focused on combating gender-based violence in Haiti, in the lead-up to the “16 Days of Activism’s” international campaign against gender-based violence which starts with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence on November 25.

Gender-Based Violence is a crucial human rights issue and remains a top priority for the United States Government. During this activity, Ambassador White and her guests, which included a majority of Haitian women leaders, acknowledged that this is one of the leading problems women are facing in Haiti, and recognized that much work needs to be done. To that end, they agreed on the necessity for key Haitian women leaders to engage in efforts to raise awareness throughout Haitian society about GBV being a human rights issue and one which impacts the sustainable development of the country. In her remarks, Ambassador White noted, "I believe that as leaders in our respective fields, we are in a prime position to champion change within this country. We have the potential to be role models for women in Haiti and witness real transformation in this nation."

Ambassador White, through her Women’s Empowerment Initiative, will also focus on themes such as Girls’ education, Family Planning, and Strengthening Civil Society, in addition to fighting Gender-Based Violence. The overall objective is to establish a national network that will discuss and seek solutions to these issues. This initiative aligns with the U.S. Government’s ongoing support for the reconstruction of Haiti. Following the earthquake, the USG has worked to improve security for vulnerable populations – women and girls – by providing technical assistance and direct support to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights for a campaign against rape; worked with the Haitian National Police (HNP) to strengthen its ability to counter sexual gender-based violence by encouraging the recruitment and retention of female HNP officers.

Additional support includes providing training to police, judges and prosecutors on how to handle very sensitive and delicate cases often mishandled due to ambiguities within the judiciary and legal system.

HL/ HaitiLibre