Grange welcomes ‘Girls Who Fight Back’ programme

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange has praised Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Aundrene Cameron, for her 'Girls Who Fight Back' initiative.

The drive was launched at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew on Saturday.

Cameron said that Girls Who Fight Back aims to empower girls to recognise and respond to abuse and danger. Students will be taught self-defence techniques as well as about abuse generally, the ways in which it can manifest, how to assess their surroundings, and even the importance of being their sister's keeper.

"It is imperative that we equip our young girls with the knowledge and skills to defend themselves from an early age. They deserve to be educated, protected and empowered to navigate their surroundings," Grange said.

Under the initiative, major workshops on self-defence are planned for 40 students in St Catherine, St Elizabeth and Portland.

Grange, in lauding Cameron for the initiative, said, "Her decision to channel her victory into a project that addresses one of our society's most pressing issues, gender-based violence, speaks volumes. The Girls Who Fight Back initiative is indeed necessary."

The minister added: "In Jamaica, the statistics paint a stark reality - four out of every 10 women have experienced gender-based violence, with one in four facing intimate- partner violence in their lifetime. Sadly, this violence often begins in childhood."