The government of Grenada has lauded a decision by an international organisation to providing funding to the island in its efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls.
Grenada is the only Eastern Caribbean country to receive funding from the Spotlight Project, which is a joint effort between the European Union and the United Nations.
The country is expected to receive two million Euros and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said his administration welcomes the grant funding from the organization.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the OECS, Didier Trebucq, said that there is a regional component that involves other countries but Grenada is the only OECS country to benefit.
Trebucq attributes this to the enabling environment that exists which increases the potential to maximise the impact of the project and described it as an opportunity to deepen cooperation, given the already solid partnership between Grenada and the United Nations.
The UN official commended Grenada for its commitment to combatting violence against women and girls as a high priority on its agenda, through initiatives such as the Special Victims Unit.
Mitchell, during a meeting with the group said that Grenada values the support of the various UN agencies and the funding from the European Union, recalling that the country has had to battle serious economic problems which brought with it, serious social problems.
“Given the state of affairs in the economy a few years ago, the level of attention given to corrective measures to address social problems was not adequate.
“However, our economy has come a long way and now, more attention is being given to addressing social issues such as domestic violence. We welcome the support of the United Nations and the European Union,” he said, as he underscored the importance of addressing present social problems because of the likelihood that they will manifest into bigger problems in the future.
According to the UN website, the Spotlight Initiative intends to bring attention to the issue of violence against women and girls, moving it to the spotlight and placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.