Councillor Robert Midwinter attended a Legislative Strengthening Seminar in London, focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Modern-Day Slavery (MDS). The event was organized by the CPA UK and followed a similar seminar held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023.
The seminar gathered parliamentarians from 17 Commonwealth countries. It aimed to provide skills and networks to strengthen policies against GBV through connections with experts and Civil Society Organisations (CSO). Councillor Midwinter participated as a panellist, sharing his experiences and addressing legislative gaps in issues like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Forced Marriage (FM).
During his visit to London, Councillor Midwinter also engaged with representatives of small islands similar to St Helena. He suggested future workshops take a more holistic approach by inviting relevant public servants such as domestic violence leads.
The seminar offered insights into effective evidence gathering, stakeholder collaboration, and influencing techniques. A notable highlight was visiting Newham Council to observe their Domestic Abuse Strategy implementation. The timing of the seminar coincided with the global White Ribbon awareness campaign and the subsequent 16 Days of Activism.
Councillor Midwinter’s Conference Report on the CPA UK Legislative Strengthening Seminar is available on the SHG website at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Back-to-Office-Report-GBV-and-MDS-Seminar-2024.pdf.
