On October 24, 2023, the non-profit human rights organization, Equal Rights Access and Opportunities SVG Inc. (ERAO SVG), along with Miriam van Nie, Political Counselor at the High Commission of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, visited George Stephens Senior Secondary School in Colonarie.
The purpose of the visit was to monitor the implementation of the Menstrual Health Empowerment Project, which is currently being funded by the Government of Canada.
ERAO SVG’s team, consisting of Jeshua Bardoo, Kareen Singh, and Diamond Elam, met with school administrators and spoke to some of the young women who have participated in the project over the past year. George Stephens Secondary School is one of three secondary schools benefiting from the Menstrual Health Empowerment Project, which is supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
The Menstrual Health Empowerment Project aims to increase access to basic menstrual and hygiene products for Vincentian secondary school girls from low-income communities in the red and yellow zone areas affected by the La Soufrière volcanic eruption in 2021. The project also seeks to amplify the voices and menstrual experiences of teenagers and provide practical and sustainable recommendations for addressing period poverty in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Deputy Principal of George Stephens Secondary School, Shirnelle Thomas-Gunn, expressed her gratitude towards ERAO SVG Inc. for their assistance, stating that the girls are benefiting from the project and that the school greatly appreciates their support and generosity.
ERAO SVG is dedicated to promoting equality and non-discrimination in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with a specific focus on the rights of women, children, the LGBTQIA+ community, and persons living with mental and physical disabilities.
