Release Type: News Article

The Anguilla Community Action Network (ACAN) in collaboration with Eastern Caribbean Cancer Centre hosted a breast and prostate cancer awareness outreach on 11 – 14 April 2019.

The initiative facilitated public discussions via radio and television, a panel discussion focusing on “Managing the Rising Incidents of Cancer in Anguilla” and free breast and prostate cancer screening and follow- up consultations.

ACAN’s Director and Founder, Mr John Lake, a cancer survivor himself, expressed the importance of such initiatives and reinforced that “our health is our responsibility”. He further stated, “Knowing is crucial, and it is the first step to staying healthy. I am elated that the public in Anguilla took advantage of the outreach”.

This is the second cancer outreach facilitated by ACAN in an attempt to make cancer screening a regular service not only for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) but all citizens of Anguilla.

What is the Anguilla Community Action Network (ACAN)?

The Anguilla Community Action Network seeks to support persons infected and affected with HIV and AIDS by eliminating stigma and discrimination in the communities in which they live through advocacy, education, empowerment, and integration while working to stop the spread of all sexually transmitted infections.

For more information visit the ACAN Facebook page:

Image: Participants of the Stakeholder Consultation on Violence and Discrimination in Access to Public Transportation

In observance of International Transgender Day of Visibility, 31 March, the Guyana Trans United (GTU) and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD Guyana) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure hosted a Stakeholder Consultation on Violence and Discrimination in Access to Public Transportation for LGBTQ+ Persons at the Ministry’s Fort Street Kingston board room on Wednesday, 27 March 2019.

The consultation aimed to share information, facilitate dialogue and formulate solutions about the standard of respect and treatment required for all persons utilising public transportation. The meeting discussed the effects of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in accessing public transportation and regulations and solutions aimed at preventing and punishing violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons seeking to utilise public transportation services.

Representatives from the United Mini Bus Union, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Business, Guyana Police Force, UNAIDS, USAID Advancing Partners and Communities Project, GTU and SASOD Guyana were in attendance.

In brief opening remarks, Managing Director of SASOD Guyana, Joel Simpson, noted that the goal of the consultation was to find collective solutions to prevent the violence and discrimination some LGBTQ+ persons, especially transgender persons, suffer when using public transportation. SASOD Guyana’s Human Rights Coordinator, Valini Leitch, pointed out the difficulties some LGBTQ+ persons encounter in accessing public transportation. She stated that discrimination affects access to healthcare, basic needs and has been an ongoing problem, especially for transgender persons who face the brunt of the abuses because of their visibility.

Simpson emphasised that every citizen should be able to access public transportation without fear of violence or discrimination. The problem, he said, is not just limited to mini-buses, but cuts across the local transportation sector, including taxis and speed boats. He also noted the limitations that LGBTQ persons encounter in accessing justice while also pointing out that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) struck down Guyana’s law against cross-dressing in November 2018.

The Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Linden Isles explained that the law is clear on the obligation to carry passengers. He recognised that cases of discrimination do occur and highlighted the importance of reporting swiftly to the police and giving a clear and detailed statement to the police when these infringements arise. Mr Simpson noted that in some cases the traffic ranks do prejudicially take the side of the taxi driver or mini-bus operator. Simpson emphasised the need for sensitising traffic ranks and transport operators.

Muriel Tinnis-Duke, Director of Consumer Affairs at the Ministry of Business, noted that the recently released Code of Conduct for Minibus Operators was prepared with the prevention of all forms of discrimination in mind.

Recognizing gender as a prohibited category of discrimination in the Code of Conduct, Simpson noted that “sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression” need to be expressly included in the list of grounds in the Code’s nondiscrimination provision. He expressed the need for broader consultations on future iterations of the document.

Clive Williams, Planning Officer at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Central Transport Planning Unit, noted that his Ministry was in full agreement that persons should not suffer any discrimination in accessing public transportation. He emphasised the need to engage transportation bodies to have sensitisation sessions.

In closing, Simpson acknowledged the role of education and expressed interest in further collaborations and bilateral meetings with the other stakeholders at the meeting. He also noted the need for GTU and SASOD Guyana to undertake community education to inform LGBTQ+ persons of their role in the process.

The Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+) Board Meeting was convened at the Hilton Hotel, Port of Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on 15 March 2019.

The Meeting brought together CRN+ Board of Directors, Technical Advisory Group and Secretariat staff to further review and solicit input for improved governance and management of CRN+.  The principal objective of the meeting was to review and revise the CRN+’s strategic direction for CRN+.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the current operations of CRN+ and develop new plans for the organisation.  It was agreed that in order to improve the governance and management of CRN+, an organisational assessment must be conducted to determine the impact and relevance of CRN+.  The results of the assessment will inform the new strategic direction of the network and the development of a resource mobilisation strategy and operational plan. The board will mobilise funding to conduct the assessment and develop the resource mobilization strategy and operational plan.

The meeting agreed that increased involvement of PLHIV in the regional and national HIV responses will require continued and improved collaboration with National AIDS Programmes.

It was also agreed that board members will be assigned to support select national networks.

On Thursday, 7 March, the “Teabox Lounge” in South Hill, Anguilla came alive with laughter and tears as a cross-section of women gathered to discuss a topic that they all had in common:  women’s sexuality.  The forum, entitled “Woman to Woman” was coordinated by the National Chronic Disease Unit, Anguilla which has responsibility for sexual and reproductive health programming, in partnership with the Gender Affairs Unit under the 2019 Women’s Week activities.

The purpose of “Woman to Woman” was to provide a platform for discussion on sensitive issues relating to female sexuality without judgement in a supportive and safe environment.

Through dramatic presentations by the cast of the “Vagina Monologues” (Senoj Creations), and games such as “Sexual Charades” and “Label My Parts”, topics such as “My body after childbirth”, infertility, masturbation, sexual abuse, sexual stereotyping and mental abuse were presented and discussed by the audience.

Obstetrician, Dr Kareema Matthews, Clinical Psychologist, Dr Olufunmike Banks-Devonish and Director of Gender Affairs, Dr Ronya Foy Connor comprised the panellists who clarified misconceptions, expounded upon and explained factual content and provided appropriate references for the group.

The three-hour discussion forum was hosted by Ms Nisha Dupie and Ms Glenneva Hodge.

Director of the Chronic Disease Unit, Mrs Twyla Bradshaw-Richardson stated that is was refreshing to hear the candid discourse and the call for similar forums.   She stated, “often the conversations are turned off because they are too difficult, which reinforces a myriad of challenges that face us today.  I hope that the forum will be the springboard for such conversations and we can move away from the tendency to tune out such discourse”.  Organisers intend to host “Woman to Woman” as an annual event.

On Wednesday 24 April 2019 the Region is invited to participate in “Living good: dignified lives and just communities”.  The community dialogue is jointly hosted by the University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), the Trinidad and Tobago Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC), CAISO: Sex & Gender Justice, UNAIDS and the NGC Bocas Lit Fest.

It will bring together regional voices working in the fields of gender justice, HIV, domestic violence, workers’ rights, ethics, mental health and governance to explore how we can ensure all people have access to the minimum conditions to lead a dignified life.

“Respect for human dignity is central to all human rights. A dignified life includes being able to make choices that we think are best for our lives and having the opportunity to realise our fullest potential,” explained URAP Co-coordinator, Tracy Robinson.

The conversation will be moderated by Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) Chairperson, Lynette Seebaran Suite. The EOC works towards the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equality of opportunity through advocacy, public education, research and the reconciliation of complaints.

The event will include an exploration of the theme in the context of the landmark Caribbean Court of Justice judgment in Mc Ewan v AG by Ms Robinson.

The panellists are as follows:

Cyrus Sylvester, The Patient Advocate Mission
Élysse Marcellin, Mindwise, a Mental Health Project
Patrice Daniel, Walking into Walls
Rev. Elvis Elahie, Values Educator
Roberta Clarke, Coalition against Domestic Violence
Sophia Chote, SC, Trinidad and Tobago Independent Senator
Steve Theodore, Amalgamated Workers Union

The event will be held at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation Auditorium on Cumberbatch Street in Chaguanas, Trinidad from 7 PM – 9 PM local time. A Livestream will be available on facebook.com/unaidscaribbean (Start time is 5 PM in Belize, 6 PM in Jamaica and 7 PM in the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana). For those with questions about participating in-person, please contact 868 322-7373 or facebook.com/caiso.

The Double Positive Foundation, with funding from Kansfonds, Netherlands, facilitated a training programme for 18 HIV positive women of the Central Penitentiary in Santo Boma, Suriname.  The training aimed to build the capacity of participants in sewing and embroidery with the overarching goal of empowering the participants to be entrepreneurs with skills to create and market their original embroidery products.

The training programme was created in collaboration with the Marron Vrouwen Networks.

According to Ms Ethel Pengel, Chair, Double Positive, “our intention was to provide skills for these women to work independently when they are released.  The programme provided unique skills in designing and creating original clothing and embroidery products.  Double Positive was proud to be part of an initiative that provides these women with the ability to earn their own income and provide for their families”.

UCTRANS will host its Executive Board and Steering Committee Strategic Planning Meeting 5 – 9 April 2019 in Nassau, The Bahamas. Trans leaders from CARICOM countries and OAS Member States will unite to discuss the way forward.

According to Ms Alexus D’Marco, Chair, UCTRANS, “The rights of transgender persons are protected by a range of international agreements. Countries that are signatories to these binding treaties are required under international law to respect the treaty provisions, including those relevant to the human rights of LGBT. However, punitive national laws and policies, as well as the failure of states to adopt or adhere to the provisions of the international conventions, adversely impact transgender people and fail to recognize their human rights”.

She underscored that most countries in the Caribbean have no legal recognition of transgender affirmed gender identity. Without official documents that recognize their gender identity, transgender people are often denied access to basic rights, including the right to health, education, justice and social welfare. This often results in exclusion from social and civic participation, harassment and stigmatization, limited access to protection, justice and redress and inadequate provision of health care services. Transgender people are also more susceptible to violence, including physical and sexual violence.

The Chair highlighted that in the Caribbean, population size estimates for the transgender community are largely absent. Similarly, data on incidences of gender-based violence prevalence among transgender persons is limited. Where information is available, it indicates significantly higher rates of HIV prevalence. Transgender women are also particularly affected by HIV. Estimates show that HIV prevalence for transgender women in the region range from 8% to 31% and there are few support programmes that address their specific needs. Where programmes do exist, they rarely include access to sexual and reproductive health services or HIV prevention, testing and treatment services.

The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) has issued a statement denouncing all forms of violence and discrimination following the murder of Guyanese National Michael Pooran.

ECADE stated that groups representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Caribbean citizens have long cautioned governments that buggery and gross indecency laws pose a threat to the lives of anyone perceived to be gay, and therefore criminal. In the wake of the murder of Michael Pooran on 23 February 2019, local human rights group United and Strong and regional umbrella organisation ECADE, urged governments to strongly denounce any form of violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

“As we stand in sympathy with the family…we encourage the governments of Saint Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean to re-examine the impact of the Buggery and Gross indecency Laws (Criminal Code, sections 132, 133) that are widely interpreted as criminalisation of the LGBT community. These laws create an image of gay people as criminals and embolden others with a sense of impunity that has proven to be a real threat to anyone whose gender expression is felt to be outside of the norm,” stated ECADE.

The organization further stated that individuals who may not fit what might be considered “normal” or “accepted” gender expressions are at risk and that protection of all vulnerable groups equals protection of every citizen and allows everyone the freedom of expression.

The statement underscored that in 2018, the 48th OAS General Assembly approved a tenth resolution on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” that encourages member states to consider “adopting public policies against discrimination by reason of sexual orientation and gender identity”. ECADE noted that while this resolution does not insist on full protection of LGBT citizens, progressive governments could enact the necessary legislation.

“Our government has recognised and committed to international fora to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of all citizens. It is therefore unfortunate that our police force cannot identify or prosecute bias or hate crimes and the lack of legislation may serve as a barrier to providing full protection to those who are, or perceived to be, gay”, stated ECADE.

ECADE committed to continuing advocacy to achieve full recognition of the human rights of all people through litigation. The organisation indicated that it would continue to monitor and engage with law enforcement, the judiciary and state representatives.

The National AIDS Programme Secretariat Guyana, with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement, successfully trained 18 persons in food preparation techniques and healthy eating practical sessions.  Experts in the culinary arts facilitated the training at the Carnegie School of Home Economics in Georgetown.

The 12-day training activity involved participants from various National HIV Treatment and Care sites in Region 4, Georgetown.

Mr Somdatt Ramessar, Manager of the National HIV Food Bank spoke to the editor of PANCAP Newsletter about the initiative.  He explained that the focus of the training was to expose the participants to healthy and safe ways to prepare foods for consumption, as well as consistent use of healthy, locally grown and inexpensive food.  He underscored the importance of participants building their skills in preparing food to maintain the nutritional value.

“Building the capacity of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) so that they can live more productive lives is the focus of the National Programme,” stated Somdatt, “hence the aim of the training activity was to build the capacity of participants so that they can contribute meaningfully to their families and be role models in their communities and resource persons within the PLHIV population”.

At the culmination of the training, participants were tasked with returning to their respective support groups and sharing the knowledge they have acquired through organized group activities.

Somdatt noted that the National Programme was particularly proud of a participant who established a local juice production business with the skills acquired from the training.

Below is an image gallery of the food products created by participants. 

Image: Jason Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer, CRN+ during the launch of #UnitedPositively at the Seventh Meeting of National AIDS Programme Managers and Key Partners, 11 March 2019. 

The Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+) launched #UnitedPositively, an initiative to highlight voices from the Caribbean region against stigma and discrimination, in March 2019.

The campaign aims to challenge governments, policy makers, civil society organizations, the regional media and especially key populations (KPS), “to let their voices be heard against Stigma and Discrimination,” through social media messages denouncing stigma and discrimination that prevent vulnerable populations from accessing prevention, care, treatment, and support.

According to Jason Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer, CRN+, “We must take note, that despite positive developments in the Caribbean in addressing HIV and AIDS and Human Rights, there still exist domestic laws, policies, and practices that adversely affect the rights of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and vulnerable individuals in accessing and benefitting from essential services including public goods and justice”.

He further stated “In the Caribbean, there are increasing numbers of people with access to medication. However, there is still no pill to cure stigma and ignorance.  We, therefore, need to stand united positively as one Caribbean against stigma and discrimination.  The fight against stigma does not start or end with a campaign. It starts and continues with us, in our everyday lives, challenging our own prejudices and challenging the biases of those around us. It starts with recognising instances of discrimination and acting to stop them. It starts with challenging ignorance and fear wherever we may find it. Our campaign will only add to the wonderful work by so many other organisations and individuals in the Caribbean who are fighting to end stigma and discrimination. It takes courage, resilience and tenacity to fight against HIV-related stigma and discrimination”.

Why this campaign

CRN+ was inspired to create the campaign by the UNAIDS Zero Discrimination Agenda, 90-90-90 UNAIDS Fast-track Targets to put an end to AIDS and the experiences of PLHIV and Key Populations within our Caribbean Region.

How you can take action now

Let your voice be heard against stigma and discrimination:

•  Send a selfie along with a short sentence (10 words maximum) speaking out against stigma and discrimination via an inbox message to the CRN+ Facebook page; Link here
• Give your consent for your photo message to be used in the campaign;
• After you have uploaded your selfie, it will be branded with the campaign photo frame and shared on our social media pages and website;
• You can then share your selfie on social media and invite your family and friends to take part in the campaign;

What is the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+)?

The Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+) is the authentic voice of Caribbean People Living with HIV and AIDS. CRN+ is committed to empowering and supporting persons infected and affected by HIV and AIDS through advocacy, research, partnership, capacity building and resource mobilization.