From Bahama Islands Info

NASSAU, The Bahamas — Almost 900 children under the age of 16, the majority of whom were girls, were reported to be victims of sexual assault in The Bahamas between 2008-2011, Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie S. Griffin said Thursday.

Addressing the Opening Session of the “Understanding the Girl Child” Workshop at Holy Cross Anglican Church’s Parish Hall, Mrs. Griffin said the challenges facing at-risk girls in the Bahamian society needs focused attention. The workshop, Mrs. Griffin said, will help to address those issues, and follows a similar workshop held for boys in early May.

“This workshop will allow us to address some of the social issues that are facing our girls in our country today,” Mrs. Griffin said. “We want to recognise their rights and their unique challenges. As we address their challenges, we want to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.”

Mrs. Griffin said global statistics indicate that in some countries, adolescent girls have HIV rates up to five times higher than adolescent boys. Teenage girls in The Bahamas remain the fastest growing population to become infected with HIV.

Global figures further show that at least one-in-three girls and women has been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime and that 50 per cent of all sexual assaults worldwide happen to girls under 15 years of age.

Comparatively, in The Bahamas, almost 900 children (838 to be exact) under the age of 16 – the majority of them girls – were reported to be victims of sexual assault during the years 2008-2011.

Mrs. Griffin told participants that the workshop will allow them to develop recommendations as to how to address the peculiar issues faced by young people, especially young girls. The recommendations are expected to help lead to a continued national strategy.

“When we come together to talk about what really matters to them, we can teach ourselves and other people – adults, boys and other girls all across the nation – new ways of thinking about gender issues which will help us take action to change the status quo,” Mrs. Griffin said.

“We are here to reflect upon what we have done and what we need to do further to fully achieve what our girls need. We want to help stimulate enthusiasm for girls to better their lives; providing an opportunity for them (girls) to show leadership and reach their full potential.

“We need to address the importance of new technology; innovation in partnerships, policies, resource utilisation, community mobilisation and most of all, the engagement of young people themselves. How do we help them to realise that they are not sex chattels and that they must respect themselves and demand respect from others,” Mrs. Griffin added.

Minister Griffin said public/private partnerships have the capability of raising public awareness to an even greater level.

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