Womens Offices: Sustainability Challenges

1
Womens OfficesSustainability Challenges

• Dr. Daphne Phillips
• Former Minister of Gender Affairs
• (1995-20001)
• Trinidad and Tobago

2
New Programs, Policies and Projects
Created / Initiated Ministry of Gender Affairs
1995-2001Trinidad and Tobago
3
New Programs/Projects

• 1. Instituted a National Domestic Violence
  Hotline with 24 hours/7 days per week service -
  August 1996 to December 2001.

4
New Programs/Projects

• 2. Created a National Domestic Violence Unit
  within the Division of Gender Affairs dedicated
  to the prevention, proactive community-based
  activities, public awareness, legal reform and
  all matters relating to gender violence. This was
  fully operational from June 1997 to December 2001

5
New Programs/Projects

• 3. Womens Second Chances Project
• Started (three month) skills training and
  employment project for women in 1998 in areas of
  Agriculture, Elderly Care and Homework Centres

6
New Programs/Projects

• 4. Non-Traditional Skills Training for Women
• Created a Pilot project for the training of
  women in skills not traditionally undertaken by
  women, such as woodwork /carpentry, and
  construction skills.

7
New Programs/Projects

• Male Support Programme within the Domestic
  Violence Unit
• This programme started in 1997 with a focus on
  men for one week annually. In 1999 a month or
  activities was devoted to men and by the end of
  1999 a full year round cabinet approved and
  funded programme commenced. This continued to
  2001.

8
New Programs/Projects

• Promoted a pilot programme for Community-based
  Drop-in Counselling Centres and Information
  Stations was launched in May/June, 1998.
  Twenty-three of these centres were opened in 1999
  and remained fully functional to 2001

9
New Programs/Projects

• Created the Womens Leadership and Enhancement
  Institute, which operated from the Ministry
  from1999 to 2001.

10
New Programs/Projects

• Developed a system for the Restructuring of the
  Social Services Delivery System in Trinidad and
  Tobago (2001).

11
Social Policy

• Administered the commencement of national
  policies in the following areas
• A National Gender Policy
• A National Policy on Domestic Violence

12
New Legislation

• Presented new legislation in the following areas
• The Domestic Violence Act (reformed) - Act 30 of
  1999
• The Sexual Harassment Bill (preliminary work
  commenced 2000)

13
New legislation

• Contributed to legislation on
• The Maternity Act 1998
• The Legal Aid Amendment Act 1998
• The Minimum Wages Act 1999
• The Co-habitation Act 1999
• The Attachment to Earnings Act 1999
• The Equal Opportunities Act 2000

14
Analysis of Sustainability of Programs and
Projects

• It appears (from the above table) that programs
  and projects that have wide public appeal, or to
  which foreign funding had been committed were
  sustained.

15
Analysis of Sustainability of Programs and
Projects

• Projects which contributed directly to womens
  empowerment were discontinued.

16
Analysis of Sustainability of Programs and
Projects

• Projects which contributed to womens support,
  especially in domestic violence situations,
  either directly through the counseling centers,
  or indirectly, through the male support program,
  were not sustained.

17
Sustainability Prospects of National Policies and
Legislation

• It does appear in the Trinidad and Tobago case
  that social policy and legislation which benefit
  women are likely to be sustained if/when put in
  place by a conscious and gender sensitive
  leadership

18
Sustainability Prospects of National Policies and
Legislation

• However, the factor of social class affects the
  probability with which women are likely to
  benefit from empowering or progressive
  legislation. Poor women continue to be vulnerable
  and seem unable to take advantage of such
  legislation. For them, programs and projects are
  most useful.

19
Sustainability Prospects of National Policies and
Legislation

• In general, policies and legislation have greater
  sustainable prospects than projects and policies.
  However, poor women benefit more from projects
  and programs.