It takes a village: The journey towards the enactment of the domestic violence bill in Saint Lucia

09/15/23 • 19 min

This episode was recorded during the virtual workshop “Together We Are Stronger”, led by the Equality Fund, as part of a three-part training series on effective engagement in parliamentary processes, jointly offered by ParlAmericas, the UN Women Multi-Country Office - Caribbean, and the Equality Fund, with the participation of Women’s Voice and Leadership –Caribbean grantee partner, Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia."

Listen to this dialogue between Andrea Calmet, of Equality Fund, and Catherine Sealys, President of Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia, on the passage of the domestic violence bill by the Parliament of Saint Lucia and its later enactment. Ms. Sealys describes the advocacy and effective parliamentary engagement strategies undertaken by Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia, local and international allies, and other actors to contribute to the enactment of the bill.

On March 8th, 2022, four years after it had been drafted for a second time, the government of Saint Lucia enacted what is now considered one of the most progressive bills in the Caribbean and an important first step towards gender equality and inclusion in Saint Lucia.

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