Barbados: Information on the protection available to a separated or divorced woman from threats and abuse by her husband or common law spouse after they have been living apart
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BRB22972.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Barbados: Information on the protection available to a separated or divorced woman from threats and abuse by her husband or common law spouse after they have been living apart, 1 February 1996, BRB22972.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acbd74.html [accessed 18 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. |
For information on the protection available to abused women in Barbados, please consult the attached section of Country Reports 1994. In addition to the attached, the following information was obtained in a 9 February 1996 telephone interview with a representative of UNIFEM in Bridgetown, Barbados.
There are no shelters for abused women in Barbados, but there is a telephone "hotline" that provides counselling, orientation and other help to abused women. The Domestic Violence Act currently in effect allows police to intervene, remove and/or detain and jail husbands, common-law spouses or others from the homes of victims and take legal action against aggressors. Many women may not be aware of the legal recourse available to them, or may not want to get the police involved. On the other hand, the police are not always aware of what they should do in cases of spousal or domestic abuse. UNIFEM has been holding seminars to train police on this matter, and it continues to engage in education or awareness campaigns. Finally, the source stated that no prominent cases of violence against women where police intervened or failed to intervene have been recently reported in Barbados.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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 find below a list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
UNIFEM, Bridgetown. 9 February 1996. Telephone interview with representative.
Attachment
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1994. 1995. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, pp. 321-22.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report. Yearly.
Boletín ISIS [Santiago]. Quarterly.
CAFRA News [Bridgetown]. Semestral.
Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly.
IGLHRC [International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Committee] Action Alert. Bi-monthly.
ILGA [International Lesbian and Gay Association] Bulletin. Quarterly.
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. Weekly.
WEP [Women's Exchange Project] International Bulletin. Quarterly.
WIN News [Boston]. Quarterly.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Newspapers and periodicals pertaining to the appropriate region.
On-line searches of news articles.
Note:
This list is not exhaustive. Country and issue-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not included.
