Dominica National Council of Women (DNCW), under the leadership of Mrs. Neva Edwards, set up a FAMILY CRISIS COUNSELING PROGRAM for women and men in 1997. It was designed to prevent domestic violence and assist both survivors and perpetrators.
The service included:
- a crisis hotline
- in-person private individual counseling, and,
- safe house facilities
DNCW has done interventions in prisons, schools, communities, and public media.
Many men felt comfortable to call or visit DNCW offices to find solutions to resolve family challenges.
DNCW has been raising awareness and providing information to preserve the human rights of women to safety in all areas of their lives since 1996 and continues to do so today.
The hotline and private counselling service was interrupted when the office of DNCW was destroyed by Hurricane Maria 2017.
After Maria DNCW intensified its awareness raising through a nine-month program, as violence against women tends to increase after natural disasters and during economic crises. Women and girls in public shelters are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence in the context of scarce material resources.
As Dominicans we want to prevent harm to women – including loss lives, destruction of families, imprisonment of men and chaos in society. As a nation, we value all our citizens and see that violence that takes place in the home increases different forms of violence at all levels of society.
Dominica, as a nation, is committed to promoting and achieving social justice. Among other international agreements, Dominica has ratified the following:
- 1995 BELEM do PORA to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women;
http://cidh.org/Basicos/English/basic13.Conv%20of%20Belem%20Do%20Para.htm
- The 1995 Beijing Priority to eradicate violence against women and girls;
- 1994 Program of Action of the international Conference on Population and Development paragraphs 4.1 to 4.29 on the empowerment and status of women, protection of the girl child, and the responsibility and participation of men;
- 1993 Vienna Human Rights Convention;
- The 1980 Convention Against all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
DNCW recommends a broad-based partnership of the private, public and civil society sectors to re-establish the FAMILY CRISIS COUNSELING SERVICE and help to prevent murder/suicides among other forms of domestic violence.
