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Over 2000 people in Antigua and Barbuda marked International Women’s Day 2025 with a major showing of public support for ending gender-based violence (GBV) during the Men and Women United 2025: Stop Gender-Based Violence 5k Walk on Saturday, March 8th in Antigua. GBV is one of the most critical issues impacting women and girls in the Caribbean and is one of the less talked about obstacles to sustainable development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The organisers described the support as “overwhelming” noting that the walk is only in its second year but participation has doubled from 2024. The walk was organised by the non-profit organisation Integrated Health Outreach Inc. (IHO) through its GBV arm, the Integrated Health Outreach Gender-Based Violence Coalition (IHO-GBV), and in partnership with the country’s Directorate of Gender Affairs (DoGA).

Participants spoke candidly about their reasons for coming out. One woman in her forties said, “We are here to march against violence. It was important to me to come out, so I invited my coworker and we are both here today,” while another participant, a man in his twenties, said, “Violence happens to everyone but more specifically to women because they’re often seen as less than. It’s important that people who are not directly affected by problems show their support so that those who are affected don’t feel alone.”

A woman who was proudly displaying a placard with the words “Protect our mothers sisters and daughters” offered this when asked why she chose to participate: “Too many women are being raped in Antigua, too many women and too many young girls, and I am here to support them.” A young woman in her twenties, outfitted in a cap and shades remarked, “Domestic violence and gender-based violence is a terrible thing and [a walk] like this is something we should support. Hopefully, this causes awareness and encourages others to speak out.”

Between 2016 to 2019, five CARICOM Member States – Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago – conducted national surveys to measure the prevalence of gender-based violence. These surveys were a collaborative project between governments and international agencies including UN Women. It was found that 46 percent of women experienced some form of intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.

In Antigua and Barbuda, the organisers of Saturday’s GBV awareness walk said that gender-based violence must be recognised as a gross violation of human rights, a public health crisis, and an obstacle to sustainable development, adding that it results from societal norms about men and women’s roles and their value in society. All ages were represented on the walk. There were even babies and toddlers being pushed in strollers.

Local sponsors and supporters of the event include Chestertons Antigua, Island Living Investment Services (ILIS), and Moongate Hotel & Spa, as well as Flow, the Ahkimo Group, Caribbean Alliance Insurance, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Island Campus, Paparazzi Pizza, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA), Sagicor, Twist Wholesale, Beyond Limits Fitness, the Epicurean Fine Foods and Pharmacy, the First Choice Supermarket, and the the Source Clothing Store.

Representing three sponsors – Chestertons, ILIS and Moongate – Gaye Hechme said: “We believe in equality and in respect. That is the policy that we uphold in our workplace and we believe that in supporting this event, we are supporting the same for all spaces throughout Antigua and Barbuda. As a nation, we must adopt a zero tolerance approach when it comes to gender-based violence. That is why we are here today.”

The Men & Women United 2025: Stop Gender Based Violence Walk is a project implemented by IHO in partnership with the DoGA and supported by the Equality Fund and Global Affairs Canada. With the Antigua leg of the event complete, the organisers of the Men & Women United 2025: Stop Gender-Based Violence Walk are now looking ahead to the Barbuda leg of the event which is to happen on Saturday March 15th in Codrington Barbuda.

IHO and DoGA have announced that they are currently working towards the establishment of a shelter for women who are experiencing violence. The Men & Women United 2025: Stop Gender Based Violence 5k Walk also served as a platform to build awareness about the need for such a shelter in Antigua and Barbuda. The walk is also connected to a GBV survey being conducted by IHO in partnership with the DoGA.