Cayman: Silent Witness March to be held on 25th October - 21 October 2022

Silent Witness March to be held for Domestic Violence and Bullying Awareness

Grand Cayman, 21 October 2022 – Activists against domestic violence and bullying will take to the busy streets of George Town on Tuesday, 25 October for the twenty-second annual Silent Witness March.

Beginning at 3:30pm, demonstrators will walk in silence from the Government Administration Building and pass the Central Police Station, Judicial Headquarters, and the House of Parliament before arriving to Constitution Hall. The symbolic journey past each of these entities exemplifies the roles legislators, law enforcement and the courts play in the support and protection of the victims and survivors of domestic violence.

The Silent Witness March began in Minnesota in 1990 after a group of women, media and non-profit organisations chose to demonstrate against the growing amount of domestic violence cases in their area. In 2000, The Business and Professional Women’s Club (BPW) of Grand Cayman brought the initiative to the Cayman Islands. Today, the March is held each October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in partnership with the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Gender Affairs Unit and the Family Resource Centre.

Other key stakeholders include the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Needs Assessment Unit (NAU), Health Services Authority, Department of Community Rehabilitation, Cayman Islands Judicial Administration and Her Majesty’s Prison Service. The involvement of each agency highlights the multi-pronged approach that is necessary to support victims and survivors of domestic violence in their journey.

BPW President Ms Cheryl Myles stated that “this year’s theme for the Silent Witnesses March, #Every1KnowsSome1, highlights how common domestic violence is, and that it is much more than just physical violence. We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that if you or someone you know is in an unsafe situation, you are not alone there is support and resources to get yourself or the person you know out of the situation”.

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 1 in three (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Locally, the RCIPS received 1,735 domestic violence referrals in the 2021.

The public is urged to participate in the March and are encouraged to wear purple in solidarity for those who are impacted by domestic violence and bullying within the community. For more information on the Silent Witness March, visit frc.gov.ky.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or bullying, or if you need further information or support, please visit the following sources:

· The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre (CICC) – www.cicc.ky

· The Alliance to End Domestic Violence (Cayman) – www.alliancetoenddv.org