Anguilla is the northernmost of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, with a population of about 15,000 people. The first Chapter of Anguilla’s Constitution provides that every person in Anguilla is entitled to life, liberty, security of the person, the enjoyment of property, and protection of the law, freedom of conscience, of expression and of peaceful assembly and association, and respect for his private and family life. Where there are limits to these rights these are designed to ensure that an individual’s enjoyment of these rights does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.
Three UN human rights treaties: Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention against Torture (CAT) and Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) have been extended to Anguilla. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) have yet to be extended. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) also applies to Anguilla and individuals have the right to bring cases to the European Court of Human Rights where no other remedy exists in Anguilla.
Project activities 2008-2010
Activities have focussed on increasing the awareness and capacity of Anguillian stakeholders to address human rights issues, including practical assistance to develop monitoring and reporting capacity. In October 2010, eighty six people, sixty from public agencies and twenty six from civil society organisations, took part in five days of human rights training.
Twenty-one people from the public service and civil society participated in the CEDAW workshop held in Anguilla in October 2010. The workshop included participants from across the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean region as well as the UK and resulted in a series of plans towards implementation of CEDAW in the Territories. Under the technical assistance facility, the project has assisted officials in the development of a Gender Policy.
Project activities for 2011
In 2011, Anguilla plans to focus on gender issues, especially relating to CEDAW. This will include training for officials, awareness-raising, improving monitoring and data collection and the implementation of domestic violence legislation, to provide for the protection of victims of domestic violence in a comprehensive manner.
11 – 14 July 2011
Promoting Gender Equity in the Classroom
A workshop for teaching professionals
Lead by the trainer, Gemma Tang Nain, the workshop examined the following issues: understanding stereotypes and sexism in language; understanding gender and related concepts; gender and international conventions agreements and instruments; and gender and key societal areas. Participants worked through various case studies and examined the portrayal of both sexes in textbooks. The vast majority of the participants found the workshop informative and enlightening, but regretted that only 2 of the 26 participants were men.
Read the report
In Anguilla, a steering committee helps to direct the project, consisting of Catherine Firth (Head of Governor’s Office), Dawne Richardson (Attorney-General’s Chambers), Kiesha Gumbs Bibby (Ministry of Social Development) and Kenneth Hodge (Ministry of Home Affairs), who is also the project contact. His e-mail is Kenneth.Hodge@gov.ai.