(The Valley, Anguilla) - Two major activities will mark Anguilla’s observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, (IDAW) on Tuesday November 25th, 2008.

In the first, the Family Hope Network is collaborating with the Royal Anguilla Police Force in the training of Police Officers and other frontline workers in domestic violence awareness interventions. Facilitators for the two day workshop which begins on Tuesday November 25th at 8:30am at the Police Conference Room will include representatives from the Family Hope Network, Department of Social Development, Royal Anguilla Police Force, Probation Department, Education Department and Primary Health Care Department.

Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, Chairperson of the Family Hope Network Anguilla says the multi-agency approach reflects the ideals of the project which was developed by the Caribbean Association for Feminist Action and Research, CAFRA in 1999. Family Hope Network itself grew out of the national organizing committee’s execution of the CAFRA project.

The Workshops were first launched here in August of 2001 as part of a regional project developed by CAFRA, in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of Commissioners of Police, UNIFEM and the Caribbean Development Bank.

The awareness-building workshops focus on understanding the nature, causes and costs of domestic violence, as well detecting and assessing the abuse. Some 250 persons, including police officers, social workers, counsellors, health professionals, pastors and other community workers participated in the sessions in 2001 and 2004. The Family Hope Network itself was developed as a response to the training and awareness-building thrust of the programme. The Family Hope Network is again launching these sessions as part of its objective to increase public awareness on the nature of Domestic Violence and the ways in which the abuse and violent behaviours are reinforced and perpetrated.

In the second, Soroptimist International (Anguilla) in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Rights and Gender Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development, Focus on Health and the Family Hope Network will present a Call to Rally for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Tuesday 25th November, 2008 beginning at 5:00pm at the Teachers Resource Centre, under the theme “Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles.”

The Call to Rally will include speeches, messages, presentations, drama and other activities including the keynote address by Dr. Patricia Ellis, Consultant on the topic “Challenges, Obstacles in Gender-based violence.”

An invitation is being extended to the general public in particular women to come out and support the Call to Rally at the Teachers Resource Centre.