THE 25 men and women who work to gather statistics for the country pulled together as a team and gave a winning performance in the “Orange Your Office” competition hosted by the Department of Gender and Family Affairs in the Ministry of Social Services and Community Development earlier this month.
The Department of Statistics claimed the large orange trophy for its efforts to bring awareness to violence against women. The competition was launched during National Women’s Week, which ended on the November 26 anniversary of women’s right to vote in the Bahamas.
On December 16, Carmen Dawkins and Joan Rolle attended a special service at the Ministry to receive their prizes. Ms Dawkins said the team gathered everyone’s thoughts about violence against women and the situations in which the violence usually occurs in order to bring real life situations to the fore, so that more people could be aware of how to help prevent or stop unwanted situations before they occur.
The competition judges - Regieta Minns, Alayna Ledard and Bernard Petit - were impressed by the acting skills portrayed by Department of Statistics staff. They noted that the performances were realistic and allowed the messages of non-violence to hit home. The department was fully decorated in orange and messages emblazoned the walls for all their clients to see. The staff even rolled in a coffin to bring to bear the reality of the effects of violence against women.
“Participating in this competition gave us a sense of oneness in our department and brought sensitivity to the statistics that we have to present to the Bahamian public,” Ms Dawkins said. She explained that the staff used five locations in the workplace to demonstrate gender-based situations, including gender-based killings. They also offered solutions to these problems, including conflict resolution, proper communication and respect.
The Centre for the Deaf received a cash prize as runners-up in the competition. Director of Gender and Family Affairs Gaynel Curry noted that the judges were impressed by the children who were deaf or hearing impaired, who gave such passionate presentations about gender-based violence. They also received a cash prize.,
Ministry of Tourism, The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation, the National Training Agency, the Department of Housing, the Public Hospitals Authority and the Department of Local Government also participated in the Orange Your Office Campaign.
These efforts were spurred by the United Nation’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women Campaign, and the Bahamas was one of many countries to participate, as the UN sought to “orange the world” to bring awareness and help stop the rate of violence against women worldwide.
Many women-centred groups attended to give support, including the Anglican Church Women, the Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association, the National Women’s Advisory Council, Zonta Club, Ann-Marie Bain for the United States Embassy, and the first female Bahamian physiologist, Dr Carolyn Hanna.
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