“I hope that as I continue working with this program, I can help make young people more cognizant of these negative social norms and behaviors and how they contribute to gender-based violence”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The education arm of the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG) has partnered with talented Bahamian youth activists to shine a light on how deeply and culturally rooted gender-based violence (GBV) is in The Bahamas.
“No Slappin’ Up”, a podcast organized by the first cohort of ORG’s Me, You and Us Youth Saloon, will bring a youthful perspective to addressing this long-standing issue when it debuts today on all the organization’s digital platforms.
Tiffany A Bain, ORG’s education consultant and director of the saloon, said: “It is incredibly important for youth to be involved in creating the measures and interventions to reduce incidences of GBV in the future.
“This impact isn’t just about the violence that we can see, but the attitudes and beliefs which underly these behaviors.
“We’re truly impressed with the current group and their ability to grasp and understand the concepts thrown at them, and even more so with their ideas to help mitigate these issues, which includes a podcast that will air on all of ORG’s digital platforms beginning this Saturday at 10am.”
The podcast will touch on a variety of issues both directly and indirectly related to gender-based violence in society, particularly in The Bahamas.
As part of the saloon’s endeavor to engage more young people in the conversation, the cohort has also launched a poster competition for primary, middle and high school students. Entrants must design a poster to help spread the message of protecting victims of gender-based violence or to bring awareness to the dangers of GBV in The Bahamas.
Entries can be submitted via email to youthagainstgbvbah@gmail.com by October 30, 2021.
Matt Aubry, ORG’s executive director, said: “This program is preparing our youth for success by supporting their social and emotional growth. These skills are critical for leadership and effective communication.
“The engagement and development of well-rounded young persons in this country is essential to our sustainability.”
Philip Moss, a cohort participant, said he is excited about the podcast and has become “enlightened on just how far-reaching the effects of this form of violence are” on a global scale.
“As I conducted research to host our premiere podcast episode, I realized how, despite the detrimental immediate effects and fallouts of GBV, it is dismissed because many factors leading to GBV are culturally normative in The Bahamas,” Moss explained.
“I hope that as I continue working with this program, I can help make young people more cognizant of these negative social norms and behaviors and how they contribute to GBV.”
For ReSade Burrows, the program is essential as women are victims of GBV in Bahamian society too often.
“Culturally, women are taught to be friendly and approachable partially because women are routinely subjected to assault for any perceived slight,” said Burrows.
“I recognized that my male peers seem unaware that this is what girls are taught. In fact, many deny these types of assaults happen.
“As a kid, I had to learn to be hyperaware of myself and my surroundings whether I was alone or not. Girls are consistently taught to be aware of how they dress, to smile when people are speaking to them — even unsolicited, to learn self-defense, to carry pepper spray and other weapons, to always be on the defensive.
“It’s because of gender-based violence that we are taught that we are targets.”
Episodes of “No Slappin’ Up” will be released every Saturday through November on ORG’s website and Facebook and Instagram pages.
To learn more about the Me, You, Us Youth Saloon, the podcast and poster competition, visit ORG’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ORGBahFoundation.
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