On August 26, 2020, PGA and UNDP co-organized a virtual Regional Caribbean Consultation on “The Role of Parliamentarians in Building More Inclusive Societies,” which was hosted by Hon. Andy Daniel, Speaker of the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia.
Among the 48 participants in the Consultation were eight parliamentarians from Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Jamaica and Saint Lucia, who shared their countries’ experiences with LGBTI civil society participants from the Caribbean region. Mr. Víctor Madrigal, UN Independent Expert on the protection against violence and discrimination based on SOGI, and Commissioner Flávia Piovesan, Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, also presented their recommendations.
LGBTI civil
society organizations, with support from UNDP, conducted a survey on the
situation of LGBTI persons related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Barbados,
Grenada, Guyana and Saint Lucia. The purpose of the Consultation was to provide
a platform to present the results of this survey, share an evidence-based
analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in heightening inequalities
and disparities among vulnerable communities, particularly LGBTI persons, and
offer concrete recommendations based on peer-to-peer experiences to respond to
these challenges.
The specific objectives of the Consultation were:
- To increase knowledge and understanding among parliamentarians about their role in guaranteeing equality and inclusion of LGBTI people.
- To foster collaboration and facilitate meaningful interactions among parliamentarians and LGBTI civil society representatives.
- To provide a platform to share data and information, as well as best practices and policy recommendations, to address inequalities related to the COVID-19 pandemic and build more inclusive societies.
For more information about this activity, please contact Ms. Mónica Adame, Director of PGA’s Gender, Equality and Inclusion Program (monica.adame@pgaction.org ).
