Supporting public awareness campaign in Grenada referendum

18 November 2016
News

Grenada’s referendum next week could mark a new chapter when it comes to the rights of people with disabilities and gender equality.

Grenada’s referendum next week could mark a new chapter when it comes to the rights of people with disabilities and gender equality. The people who live on the group of three beautiful Caribbean islands will be voting on seven separate Bills which will amend the existing constitution. To those who aren’t familiar with what is taking place on the 24 November, let me try to explain some of the issues facing Grenadians and why it’s important.

The Rights and Freedoms Bill, one of the seven, refines the provisions of the Constitution that protects fundamental rights and freedoms. It includes a new chapter on ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’. Two areas of focus are disability rights protection and gender equality. The Bill aims to strengthen discrimination laws by widening the range of conduct forbidden by the Constitution. The new grounds include conduct related to disability, ethnicity, language, religion and social class. All of these are in line with the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society.

Another positive is that by further protecting gender equality in the Constitution, Grenada will be taking a positive step towards implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5. In turn this will be aligning Grenada’s domestic legislation further with its international human rights obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The Secretariat is providing advisory and guidance on international human rights law and standards in regard to the Rights and Freedoms Bill. The public education campaign involves work places, churches, schools, young people, persons with disabilities and women. For more than a month we have been supporting the Constitutional Reform Advisory Committee (CRAC) in Grenada.

That’s not to say Grenada doesn’t respect human rights. Quite the opposite in fact. At present, Grenada is party to six out of nine core international human rights instruments: 

  • the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
  • the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and the optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
  • the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Grenada has also signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. This means that it has signalled its intention to complete in future the ratification process of this treaty.

Throughout our time here, we have been having rich conversations with varied communities including faith leaders, young people, rural communities and staff in workplaces. The public education series has given people the opportunity to engage on matters which affect them and the essence of the nation, as well as issues where there are divergent views. We are most grateful that the government and the CRAC have given us an opportunity to contribute to this very critical process.

Promoting Democracy