Poverty in the British Virgin Islands is mainly associated with the female immigrant population. Related factors are low wages, inadequate day care and public housing facilities and discrimination in the work place. Verbal official reports indicate no inequality in access to personal loans, although some women claim that they were denied business loans because they were not accompanied by a man. There is equal access to education at all levels, but although more women graduate from secondary school and apply for tertiary education, there are more male applicants and graduates with technical degrees. Breast and cervical cancer, fibroids and spontaneous abortions have been areas of concern.
Health services are generally available but women are calling for more preventive measures.
The Women's Desk, the catalyst for dealing with violence against women, has intervened at the preventive educational level. A crisis centre is to be establish by a community service organization, and laws which currently help to perpetuate violence are under review. Women in the territory feel that they do not generally get a positive reception or response when they voice their concerns and this acts as a silencer. There is, however, a growing awareness of the issues and a recognition at some governmental and societal levels of the need to effect changes as the issues are not just women's issues but factors which influence the lives of all the people of the British Virgin Islands. If you do not see a menu to the left of the screen, or you are stuck in someone else's frames, please click here to come in through the front door of our website.