Grenada: Update to GRD19906.E of 21 February 1995 on the recourse and facilities available to victims of spousal abuse
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GRD31225.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Grenada: Update to GRD19906.E of 21 February 1995 on the recourse and facilities available to victims of spousal abuse, 1 February 1999, GRD31225.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abbb73.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In separate interviews with the Research Directorate, a counsellor at the Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic in St. Georges and a former Vice-president of the Grenadian National Organisation of Women in the same city, both stated that very little has changed for women in terms of recourse and facilities available to victims of spousal abuse since February 1995 (23 Feb. 1999).
The counsellor at the Legal Aid Clinic stated that a recently drafted Domestic Violence Bill is yet to be tabled in parliament for debate, and a shelter for battered women, the first in St. Georges, has not opened because the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Security has not finalized the recruitment of staff to run it. She further stated that spousal abuse cases are now held in a family court which sits once a month in St. Georges. Although hearings are closed to the public, she explained, counsellors from the Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic are permitted to accompany their clients.
The former vice-president of the Grenadian National Organisation of Women added that a "half-way" house has been opened in St. Patricks, a town in the northern part of Grenada. Both sources explained that although spousal abuse is widespread, it is difficult to enforce the law because women themselves withdrawal complaints. Women reportedly fear to antagonize their spouses because they are financially dependent on them. Country Reports 1997 corroborates the information that violence against women is "common" but adds that "most cases of alleged abused are not reported and others are settled out of court" (1998, 525).
The former vice-president stated that many women's organisations have initiated programs to sensitize women to their rights and to assist them in acquiring marketable skills with the aim of breaking the dependency syndrome.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1997. 1998. United States Department of State: Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic, St. Georges. 23 February 1999. Telephone interview with Counsellor.
Former Vice-president of the Grenadian National Organisation of Women, St. Georges. 23 February 1999. Telephone interview.
Additional Source Consulted
WIN News [Lexington, MA]. 1997-1998. Vol. 24. Nos. 1-4.
