The National Council of Women (NCW), of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said it considers violence against women and girls as “a mark of shame on all our societies, also a moral affront to all women and girls and more so to all of us”.

The Council said in a release it is aware that violence against women and girls is a global pandemic, and domestic violence is prevalent in all societies, however, it expressed concern about “the upsurge of these type of violence in our country and the severity of them”.

The Council further stated that it’s “disheartening and unacceptable, as too many of our women and children are affected daily” and the continuation of these ills will create an obstacle to sustainable development.”

Our women and girls should be allowed to live free of fear, violence and everyday insecurity, the Council declared noting that “this is clearly [a] violation of our fundamental Human rights.

“We have to empower our girls to protect themselves and control their lives” the NCW stated.