Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698830758857.pdf (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
The Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, the Family, Gender, Persons with Disabilities and Youth Affairs, recognizes the critical role of Social development as a vehicle to promote growth, improve services and strengthens institutions within the state.

The Ministry is very cognizant of its role in national development with a goal to empower the poor and vulnerable, such that they can eventually experience a better quality of life and make a bigger contribution to the national agenda.
Social development therefore is a process of transforming institutions for greater inclusion, cohesion and accountability.

As such, the Ministry considers poverty reduction with all its attendant challenges as fundamental requirements for the reinforcement of peace and stability, achieving sustainable development and building social equity amongst the people.
The Ministry uses a holistic approach in addressing these social challenges confronting the nation with particular emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which speaks to: 1. eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; 2. promoting gender equality and reducing inequalities.

The Ministry will also be also guided by the 2013 – 2025 National Economic and Social Development Plan in achieving its goals and objectives.
Through Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, develop and implement policies and programmes that would support and create a framework where the disadvantaged and indigent can be supported.

To engage in social transformation through social empowerment, social protection and social justice, using National Mobilisation, Social Development and Youth.
The Ministry is committed to the following core functions:  A Social Protection Service to the poor and vulnerable in partnership with stakeholders and civil society organizations.

 A Child & Youth Development Service that seeks to support, rehabilitative, re-integrate and develop children and youth as they transition to adulthood and;  A Human & Community Development Service that provides sustainable development programmes, which facilitate empowerment of communities and resilience building.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT DIVISION Presently, there are 190 children in State protective care because of abuse and neglect.

According to the data collected by the Child Development Division, in 2019 the department received approximately 300 reports of children being abused or neglected.
Approximately thirty four (34) percent of the reports were classified as victims of child neglect thirty (30) percent as victims of physical abuse, twenty -three (23) percent as victims of sexual abuse and ten (13) percent as victims of psychological abuse.
Activities undertaken by the Division: (1) The Division has conducted twenty (20) awareness programmes in ten (10) communities and or schools with parents, teachers, children, health care practitioners, shelter managers, coaches, counselors and religious institution to heighten awareness of child abuse and neglect.
The participants were sensitized in the following areas:  Child Abuse Protocol and reporting guidelines  Children ( Care and Adoption ) Act 2010  Child Abuse in Emergencies  Child Abuse in Sports  The Rights of the Child (2) The Division in collaboration with UNICEF conducted a series of training workshops on the Child Abuse Protocols and Reporting Guidelines and the Children (Care and Adoption) Act 2010 to provide police officers, health care practitioners and educators with the knowledge and skills to recognize, prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect thus enhancing their capacity in the execution of your duties.
A total of one hundred and eighty (180) Law Enforcement Officers including Gazetted Officers, Non Commission Officers (NCO), Police Constables, Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, out station and Sexual Offenses Unit, DARE Officers and other police officers who work directly with children attended a one day training during the period 5- 9 August, 2019.
Additionally, one hundred and forty –two (142) Health Care Professionals including medical doctors, hospital administrator, nurses, social workers, etc also received training during the period 19-23 August, 2019.

Another training workshop will take place in the month of October for 150 educators including principals, counselors and senior officials (3) The Division recognizes that parents play a vital role in their child’s development.
Parents are not only caretakers, but they are instrumental in the development of their child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being.

As a result, the Division has conducted parenting programmes in five (5) communities and schools.

A total of 130 parents have benefitted from this initiative.

(4) .

Consultations and Focus Group on the development of a National Child Justice Policy Framework in collaboration with USAID was held in January, February and May.
The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen national child protection frameworks as it relates to children in conflict with the law and to ensure a uniform, coordinated and cooperative approach, proper inter-sectoral coordination, and cooperation with non-governmental and civil societies.
This initiative targeted the following key stakeholders:  25 youth inmates aged 17 to 30 years  Members of the NCRC Committee  60 Child Care Practitioners from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ministry of National Mobilisation, Ministry of Education , NGO’s , and Family Court These consultations will aid in the development of programmes for juveniles in conflict with the law.
Community Resilience Building: The Division is finalising plans for the refurbishing of fourteen (14) community centres throughout the country at a budgeted cost of $428,000.

These works will be done through a capital project listed under this ministry in the 2019 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.

Planned works on these centres range from minor repairs to structural retrofit.
As you may be aware, in most communities where centres are located, the community centre is sometimes the only multi-use public building available for hosting social, cultural and or educational activities.

Emergency sheltering is one of the critical uses of community centres, therefore, one of the main considerations for short listing a centre for repairs is its location and whether there is alternative sheltering in the area.
Community Action Research and Planning: Another critical area of focus for the division in the medium term is building the capacity of its staff to conduct Community Action Research (CAR).

As such, one (1) of the Key Programme Strategies/Activities for the division for 2019 is to work with at least five (5) communities to develop and implement Area Development Plans to include profiles and priority plans.
This is tied to one of the goals of the division which is to establish a community information database.

The data gathered will help us to better determine community priorities and undertake evidenced-based interventions aimed at poverty reduction and community resilience building.

The division is implementing a sub-project funded under the Japanese Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The goal of the project is to minimize the potential negative impacts of climate related hazards on the most vulnerable households within two (2) poor communities on mainland St. Vincent.

The project activities are follows: 1) Construction of footpath and drains at Bottle and Glass measuring 329’ x 5’.

2) Construction of footpath and drains at and Fair Hall measuring 450’ x 6’.
3) Construction of tank platforms and provision of a 500 gallon water tank and installation of guttering and down piles to nine (9) premises at Bottle and Glass.

4) Construction of tank platforms and provision of a 500 gallon water tank and installation of guttering and down piles to three (3) premises at Fair Hall.

Project activities will be completed in early October 2019.
Over the past two (2) years, the CDB through its Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF) has been assisting the ministry in this regard.

Coincidentally, they will be sponsoring a one (1) week Community Profiling and Livelihood Based Assessments training and field exercise for staff and stakeholders to commence Monday September 30th 2019.
The target communities will be Fancy, Owia, Sandy Bay, Overland, Big Level, Colonaire, South Rivers, Park Hill, Spring Village, Rose Hall, Chateaubelair and Fitz Hughes.

We want those communities to cooperate with the data collectors and facilitators who will be on the ground gathering data during that week.

This exercise is critical to informing the ministry’s programme going forward.
It will provide the opportunity for citizens to participate in a process that provides opportunities for them to frame the type of development they want to see take place in their communities.

During the period of January to present the Social Protection Division has engaged in a number of activities for the elderly throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines: Union Island, Calliaqua, Black Point and Georgetown.

The elderly were given a round the island historic tour of Union Island.
They visited places such as: The health center, Susgren newly constructed bridge, Union Island Secondary School, Big Sand, and the airport.

The elderly sang and dance to folk songs (big drum dance) along with plying games such as bingo and ring games (there is a brown girl in the ring etc).

Prices were given to them as well (The elderly are asking for us to come more often to do these activities).

 A press conference was done on the International Day of Family by the Hon.
Frederick Stephenson while at the same time the department meshed the young generation along with the elderly to give a hearth warming presentation on the said topic.
Public awareness programs were conducted at Union Island, Calliaqua, Georgetown, Troumaca Government School, Evesham Learning Resource Centre, Gomea Primary School, and Belmont Primary School…  There are fifty (58) families under the Client Empowerment Program, clients are exposed to a wealth of knowledge and skills that will better equip them to become self-empowered.
A Social Assistance Enrichment Workshop was conducted on 14th January, 2019 at the Foreign Affairs Conference Room to assist in this regard.

 To date, the Department has eighty one (81) home helpers who cater to the needs of the vulnerable population in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

There are approximately two hundred and seventy (270) individual beneficiaries of this service.

This year, an additional thirty (34) persons were trained and is scheduled to graduate on 11th October, 2019.
This same number of persons was trained in sign language.

 In collaboration with Voice of the Disabled twenty five (25) home care providers were trained to take care of their loved ones.
TYPES of ASSISTANCE NUMEBER of BENEFICIARIES Medical School fees Uniform Exam fees Utilities Immediate assistance Funeral Fire Basic amenities Transportation Meals Disability grant Medical grant Elderly National Assistance Fund 188 270 3,516 11 197 273 169 46 708 525 542 294 48 176 4,300 For the past three (3) years or so, the Co-operative and Community Development Division have been operating as a single merged unit.
This merge has allowed for the Division’s financial and human resources to be more efficiently allocated to address the Scio-economic concerns of the nation’s poor and Vulnerable.

For the fiscal year 2109, the Division has proven quite successful in the achievements of key result indicators; a) As at September 15th 2019, six (6) new producers Co-operatives with membership of approximately 142 farmers were officially registered.
b) 12,475 students actively involved in the School Co-operative Thrift Programme and amassing savings of near $5.2 million as at June 30, 2019. c) Three (3) modernized Green Houses fully equipped with solar driven pumps and water tanks were installed at the George Stephens, Adelphi and Central Leeward Secondary Schools.

The project is aimed at bolstering the Agri-Science programme in the school system and introduce students to climate smart technologies in agriculture.
The Division continues to advance the Ministry of National Mobilization mandate of participative poverty reduction and livelihood enhancement as a strategy for economic development.

For the period 2020 the following are the proposed Key Programme Indicators.

a) Register, supervise and promote the efficient operation of 10 new Co- operatives and 20 community micro-enterprises.

b) Repair and retrofit 14 community centres.


c) Conduct promotional activities in the School Co-operative Thrift Programme to achieve total savings of 6.5 million.

d) Revive 10 dormant community base organizations (CBO).
The reformed mandate of the Division will see the planned programme of activities 2020 and beyond fall under the following strategies; a) Community economic / business development b) Community outreach, action research and planning c) Community climate change /resilience building d) Human capacity building/ organization strengthening Youth in Agriculture - The Division also commenced dialogue with the SVG Community College (Division of Technical Vocation Education) Department of Agriculture to partner with them in highlighting the importance of Agriculture to SVG and again to impress on the Agriculture students the need to see Agri-business as a viable economic choice.
Plans going forward involve working with secondary schools that do Agriculture in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Agriculture.

The goal is assist the students/school in making their agricultural projects more meaningful and attractive, thus, providing a new vision on how the sector is seen.

The Division’s focused in the past was mainly on students in the Primary Schools.
Having examined the operations existing structure, the purpose of 4H and being mindful of the target group of the Division, (ages 16 – 30) as well as the need for building youth entrepreneurial capacity, the Division decided to revisit this focus.

Although the existing groups would be maintained, the new focus would link both the 4H and the Youth in Agriculture programmes.

The theme “Agriculture as a viable Economic choice for Sustainable Development” was them adopted.
Since then, two new groups were established in Overland and Biabou with approximately 15 young people’s using agriculture as its base.

To date there has been ongoing educational meetings to compliment this program.

This group will benefit from a collaborative effort.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture provided has continued with technical assistance as well as seedlings and other supplies.

The Principal of the Tourama Primary School gave permission for the utilization of the school lands.
Crops produced would be utilized by the school’s feeding Programme and the excess sold and funds raised will go towards sustaining the group.

The young people would also be involved in cultivation of their own plots with assistance from the Programme with the aim of forming a Co- operative.

Awareness Campaign the Division selected the topics, School Dropout, Men’s Health Issues and Unemployment and “Vincy Youth Got Talent”.
These programs were held in Barrouallie, Lauders, Diamond; the next is scheduled for October in South leeward area.

The Youth Empowerment Service Program caters for unemployed, out of school youths between the ages 16-29 years.

The program offers opportunity for practical work experience, contribution to nation building and enhancing socio-economic conditions of individuals.
The program offers to individual a period of job training in the public and private sector, while contributing a stipend to assist with meals and transportation.

The reason for such a service, in an effort to reduce the high unemployment rate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the ULP government embarked upon this ambitious program of putting the nation to work, targeting mainly unemployed youths.

To date we have trained over 10, 0000 persons through the Youth Empowerment Program.
We have seen significant progress in the lives of the youth program, many have gone on to university, and have gained employment in the private and public sector.

Some have also become entrepreneurs.

GENDER AFFAIRS DIVISION The Gender Affairs, which is the national gender machinery here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a mandate to promote policies, programmes and other interventions that enhances gender equality, mutual respect and harmony between men and women in the Vincentian society.
It is also strategically placed to ensure that all citizens have equal access to opportunities that will shape their social, cultural, spiritual, educational, economical and political development.
As it relates to legislation, policies and programmes, the Domestic Violence Act, which was passed in Parliament in 2015, had replaced the Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act of 1995, and provides a road map of response mechanisms for reports of domestic violence, and also provides avenues for action for victims, such as their rights to protection and support, among others.
This piece of legislation is one of family laws that are harmonized across the OECS region, and is complimented by the status of Children’s Act 2011, Child Care and Adoption Act of 2010, and the pending Child Justice Act.

In 2018 there were 260 reported cases of domestic violence throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in which females were the main victims in intimate partner relationships.

This figure however reflected a 28% reduction in comparison with the data for 2017.
While the public is requested to report cases of domestic violence and especially violence against women and girls, one case of violence is one case too much!

Therefore, the core agencies are tasked with responding in a coordinated manner to ensure the safety and protection of victims, and the prosecution and rehabilitation of perpetrators.
The division implements an active and ongoing public awareness campaign to raise awareness on the issue of gender-based violence, the legislative and supportive structures, and programmes available for victims as well as perpetrators of violence in the forms of weekly radio programmes, and the use of social media (Facebook) for further outreach.

This campaign is further galvanized during the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence that is commemorated between November and December annually.
In August of this year, the Ministry of National Mobilisation requested technical support from the Human Dignity Trust (HDT) towards a comprehensive review of discriminatory laws, with a particular focus on sexual offences laws that discriminate against women, girls and vulnerable groups encompassed in the Criminal Code of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to include recommendations for reform so as to reflect international good practice, including on issues such as rape and sexual assault (including whether the offences are consent-based, gender-neutral, object and orifice inclusive, and exclude marital rape exemptions), sexual offences relating to people with disabilities, and age of consent laws.
This consultancy is expected to be completed by November 2019 and the recommendations shared with stakeholders including the Cabinet to decide on the next steps.
A number of programmes are currently implemented by the Gender Affairs Division for the full engagement of boys, girls, men and women as strategic allies in achieving gender equality, including the:  Re-Entry of Teen Mothers in Secondary Schools  Single Parents Empowerment Programme  Positive Reinforcement Programme for the Rehabitable (rehabilitation of perpetrators of Domestic Violence)  Men as Partners  Anti-violence Campaign in Communities and educational institutions  Victims of Domestic Violence Support Groups  Parenting Support Programme For the period 2018 to 2019, the division was able to: i.
Conduct attitudinal surveys and community sensitization consultations on the domestic violence legislation, international conventions and agreements in the communities of Carriere, Diamond, Diamond Village, Georgetown, Greiggs and Langley Park.

ii.

Implement two (2) cohorts of the Men As Partners programme in Arnos Vale on child abuse, domestic abuse, parenting, and men’s health.

iii.
iii.

Establish one (1) support group for perpetrators of violence, including domestic violence as a means of positive reinforcement towards rehabilitation.

iv.

Provide social empowerment services to 71 single-headed households through on-the job-training, skills training, and soft skills.

v. Provide access to continue their secondary education to 91 adolescents in the teen mothers programme.
For 2020, the division intends to continue its programming in addition to:  Develop a multi-sectoral standardized manual of procedures as a key response mechanism to reports of gender-based violence;  Conduct training sessions with key stakeholders on the domestic violence legislation.
 Conduct a national teenage pregnancy survey in collaboration with the National Family Planning Programme;  Develop and pilot a Women in Leadership Programme;  Develop a Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan; and  Support the capacity building of the National Council of Women and other CSOs in the advancement of women and gender equality nationally.
SOCIAL PROTECTION Uniform Programme Funeral Expenses School Fees $749,398.53 $ 295,639.41 $ 30,445.50 Disaster Recovery which include fire and any other natural disaster Public Assistance $ 22,150.00 $8,909,615.00 There is a total number of 4,275 persons on Public Assistance as at September 30,2019.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT Uniform School Fees Exam Fees GENDER AFFAIRS Uniform School Fees $ 37,597.06 $ 49,593.00 $ 1,430.00 $ 8,618.90 $ 19,925.00