On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the National Symposium on the Role of Women in the Transition Process, Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the Transitional Council, as guest of honour, stressed the role of the State in strengthening the role of women in the transition process so that they can better combat gender-based violence (GBV).

This symposium, organized by the Ministry for the Status of Women, is a call for consultations between the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), the government and civil society actors so that the authorities can adopt the best strategies and acquire the means to effectively combat gender-based violence.

In his opening speech, President Leblanc

“(…) If we take into account the proportion of women in the Haitian population and the prominent role they play, the public authorities can only win if they succeed in first combating and then eradicating gender-based violence, thus unleashing the full potential of Haitian women so that they can make their full contribution to the country’s development. Haitian women represent 52% of the population, of which almost 45% are of childbearing age, and are about 60% of single-parent families. They are therefore the only ones who can provide their children with access to education and health care, in a context of insecurity in which gangs use rape and sexual slavery as a weapon to control the populations of the territories they covet.

(…) The best way to combat gender violence is to achieve parity in the government team and to ensure the full participation of women in both the design and implementation of reforms that affect them. Such a strategy necessarily requires strong participation in active politics. This will ultimately lead to a remarkable integration in both branches of Parliament. In this way, women could participate directly in the design and implementation of public policies intended to guide Haitian society.

(…) I hope that the debates will be enriching. They will provide the Transitional Presidential Council and members of the government with a very interesting tool to take measures aimed at the permanent inclusion of women and girls in Haiti’s political life. I wish you all good work. Thank you very much!”

IH/ iciHaiti