Allegations of an unfolding scandal at the country’s primary juvenile correctional facility have sparked a wave of activism among scores of youth who are vowing to leave no stone unturned in an effort to ensure promised reforms are fulfilled.
On Tuesday, at least four youth groups called for the immediate closure of the Girl’s Unit of the Government Industrial School (GIS) after the release of an image showing a 14-year-old lying naked on a concrete floor while in solitary confinement at Barrow’s, St Lucy.
Numerous allegations of inhumane treatment and child-rights violations have also followed the leak.
Under the social media hashtag #ProtectOurGirls, the Barbados Youth Development Council (BYDC), Pink Parliament, U-Report Barbados, and the National Youth Policy Coordination Committee have signalled their intention to pursue a total of 10 recommendations on the matter.
The organisers are also supporting a virtual protest on Monday, a petition entitled Protect our Youth launched by Nia Brathwaite and a letter-writing campaign to Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams.
“For us, a nation is judged based on how we treat the most vulnerable and marginalised in society,” declared Firhaana Bulbulia, representative of U-Report Barbados.
“And if we have young people who are in situations where they are voiceless, it is our duty and responsibility as citizens of this nation to speak out about it and ensure the necessary action is taken, and what we hope to start are a series of actions of solidarity to mobilize action on this issue.”
BYDC President Roshanna Trim added: “We saw and we have had accounts and reports regarding the Government Industrial School and it really isn’t a suitable place for young women, young ladies or anyone to live and so it is really important that we address perhaps the most important need, which is for those girls to be removed from that situation and the institution to take time to be transformed into some place which supports the psychosocial needs of the persons in its care.”
In an attempt to clarify the youth position, Bulbulia suggested temporarily moving the girls into a short-term “home environment” where they have access to the necessary “services” and “care”.
In the long run, the youth advocate supports moving the ladies into a separate section of the juvenile facility at Dodds, St. Phillip, which currently houses boys.
Since the most recent developments at the reform school, Minister Abrahams has promised a full investigation and stressed that the rights of children must be never compromised.
While Trim declared confidence in the minister honouring his pledge, she declared her intention to hold him to his word, particularly on issues of wholistic reform.
“One of the things that we have called for is the removal of the wandering law which has been on the books for some time along with the fact that there is still solitary confinement for young people who enter into the Government Industrial School is also concerning as it violates some of the child rights conventions that we would have signed onto as a country.
“And so what we are now saying is that we want to see a change and we recognise that we have been seeking to get that change happening. But young people have decided that it has been too long and right now is the perfect time, based on what was revealed and the gravity of the situation and it cannot go one. We want to protect our girls,” the BYDC president declared.
Bulbulia added: “We do not want this to die down… and the reality is that we are going to keep this momentum going until we are satisfied that action is happening and will continue to happen. We are planning a virtual protest on Monday and this is really a call to action to all young people, youth organisations, the public of Barbados. You should be outraged by this type of news, you should be upset and you should want to see change.” (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
