Gender Affairs Department Men

Engaging with Men

The Department is committed to gender sensitization. An important objective of this sensitization is engendering the support and participation of men and boys for policies and programmes that seek to achieve gender equity and equality.

Prior to the year 2000, the then Department of Women’s Affairs prioritized the advancement of women. However, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee in its comments on the St. Kitts and Nevis Report in 2000 indicated that there was definite need for male-oriented programmes. The Department of Gender Affairs began delivering male-specific programming in 2003. Activities included working with men as allies in the fight against gender base violence (GBV) and collaborating with other ministries, organizations and agencies in programmes for men. Through this initial outreach, graduates of the 2003 Men’s Relationship Skills Programme formed The National Men’s Association, now called Men Underpinning St. Kitts, (MUSK). MUSK continues to support the work of the Department and to work closely with The Male Programme Officer, who received training in male programming at the Gender Affairs Division of Trinidad and Tobago. This has provided him with the experience, skills and networking opportunities to effectively perform his duties in a new and uncharted area in the Department.

Over the years, the men’s programme has undertaken a number of initiatives including:

• A National Breakfast Symposium– 30 men met to review the Domestic Violence Act of 2000 and made recommendations for amending the legislation.
• A Prison Survey– A total of seventy-four inmates were interviewed to ascertain their needs and to develop a crime prevention programme for inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison
• A Batterer’s Intervention Pilot Programme – A Social Intervention Programme undertaken over twenty-six weeks for eighteen inmates who performed acts of Domestic Violence.
• Men’s Relational Skills Training– Training to improve gender relations between men and women
• Counselling Skills Training for Men– Training men in leadership position in counselling skills
• A Father’s Parenting Symposium– Offering support and help for single fathers
• Men as Partners and Fathers – Helping men understand their roles, and responsibilities as parents
• Public Discussions: Men and Marijuana– Examining the myths and realities behind the use of Marijuana and the truths about men who abuse it.
• A Lecture on Caribbean Women and Violence, Religion and Gender Based Violence– Examining the history of and culture and religious underpinning of domestic violence
• A Social Intervention Programme (alternative to Domestic violence)– Helping men who commit domestic violence infractions.
• The Establishment of a Prison Library – The library provides suitable reading material for the inmates and improves their opportunities for personal development
• Conducting Radio Programmes to raise awareness of Domestic Violence to the General public

The Key Activities in the area of Men’s Health included:

• A Weekend Retreat for Men
• Health checks for blood pressure, blood sugar and prostate, etc.
• A Radio Interactive Programme entitled “why are we talking” hosted by Men for Men, which facilitated a discussion of men’s issues
• Outreach projects on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

 “Using sports to communicate gender equality and men’s health” Programme for boys

Partners with the Department of Gender Affairs for this initiative included the Football Association, The Department of Youth and the Department of Education. All were instrumental in the implementation of the activities which included:

• Football camps for boys under 13 and boys under 15
• Developmental sessions with adult sports personalities

The objectives of the programme were:

• To develop a Football and Life Skills training day Camp for boys

• To provide educational and personal development and guidance and support to teenage boys
• To develop academic, physical, emotional, spiritual and social skills;
• To develop the necessary life skills for themselves and their families;
• To help participants develop a healthy balance between school, life at home, and sport;
• To promote good gender relations as well as the prevention of gender-based and societal violence
• To help to improve discipline for sport.
• To help participants accept full responsibility for their words and actions and to choose respectful, nonviolent alternatives;
• To showcase an effective, best-practice alternative sentencing model for offenders