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Caribbean

Carribean Region

GROOTS Jamaica is a grassroots organization network that joined Huairou Commission in 2009. GROOTS Jamaica counts 10 groups as network members with approximately 150 individual members. It engages groups from rural and urban areas. The network brings community-based groups to primarily collaborate over Resilience and Safer City campaigns. The groups actively engage with one another and participate in retreats where they share knowledge and priorities. The women’s leadership committee meets every two months and works with Facilitating NGOs to advance their priorities.

GROOTS Jamaica main priorities are gender justice and economic empowerment, which they actively pursue by engaging in grassroots empowerment practices. They organize monthly peer exchanges and capacity building sessions for women and host local to local dialogues.

10 Affiliated Organizations
10 Affiliated Organizations

Contact Person: Lana Finikin

GROOTS, standing for Grassroots Organisations Operating Together in Sisterhood, is a grassroots community-based NGO with a chapter located in Trinidad & Tobago. The organization accounts for 30 members and eight affiliated organizations in mainly rural areas, who are engaged primarily in five core areas: HIV/AIDS, domestic and gender-based violence prevention, sexual reproductive health and rights, mental health issues, disaster preparedness awareness, and sensitization from a gender perspective.

To support the capacity building of grassroots women, GROOTS Trinidad & Tobago (GROOTS T&T)  provides peer support, counseling and psychosocial support. The organization additionally created a mobile caravan where medical and legal services will be taken to rural communities for the benefit of women and girls who are not able to access such services due to the financial constraints. The communities are also able to access certified training of HIV/AIDS and STIs testers. GROOTS T&T became a member of Huairou Commission (HC) in 2014. The organization was attracted by the HC’s ability and dedication to connecting grassroots women globally. Moreover, GROOTS T&T was interested in joining the international grassroots movement as a part of Caribbean region.

8 Affiliated Organizations
8 Affiliated Organizations

Contact Person: Delores Robinson

Sistren Theatre Collective (STC) is facilitating NGO in Jamaica. STC is one of the first organizations that joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 1995. Being a part of the Beijing process with Huairou, STC became a founding member of GROOTS international and promoted the rise of grassroots women’s movement.

STC accounts today for 150-200 members from 15 affiliated grassroots women in rural, urban and peri-urban settings of Jamaica. Members come from a wide range of backgrounds: students, youth groups, unemployed and professional people. The scope of work varies from teenage parenthood, health and sexual violence, crime and violence, housing, migration, justice and economic policy, gender justice and capacity building for organizations.

To enhance capacity building for grassroots women, STC has used educational workshops on leadership, film screening, psychological rehabilitation in inner cities communities across Jamaica. Performing and visual arts are also used to ease drama and address personal issues among women. The emphasis is on collective analysis of problems and discussions of possible solutions through networking with local, regional and international organizations. Moreover, the grassroots groups also organize street theater on various topics like parenting and gang violence that are followed by community discussions where residents express themselves on the issues highlighted in the street theater.

15 Affiliated Organizations
15 Affiliated Organizations

Contact Person: Lana Finikin