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Author: Marie-Franz Joachim*
Submitted to AlterPresse on June 7, 2024
About thirty years ago, in order to oppose the critics of the Ministry for the Status of Women, I began to develop an argument to justify its existence. Even today, circumstances seem to force me to do the same thing, with the difference that this time the threat of repression involves several ministries. It is clear that the questioning of the Ministry brings together Haitian political families. Every new government, whether progressive, reactionary or conservative, poses a serious threat to the future of the Ministry.
We will not stop repeating that the merit of this ministry lies in the persistence of a patriarchal system that perpetuates itself by assigning women a lower role in the production system and by establishing a system that includes domestic labor, culture, sexuality, violence and the State.
From this perspective, as long as this subordinate position of women vis-à-vis men persists, women will continue to resist and demand the creation of mechanisms that can help them escape oppression and break away from patriarchal norms. In this sense, dedicated women’s spaces – including women’s organizations, institutional mechanisms for the promotion of women’s rights – and positive action in favor of women are part of all efforts to correct the drawbacks of patriarchy, especially the late access to education and political participation of women. If we consider the presence of women in elected positions as an important sign of the health of democracy and the development of gender equality, the latest statistics on the representation of women in the 50th legislature (4 women / 149 persons) confirm this once again. The importance of this Ministry, especially in the context of transition, whose main task is to organize elections.
Indeed, the scale of the tragedy caused by criminal gangs is incalculable, affecting women’s physical, mental health and well-being. The Haitian state has a difficult responsibility to take urgent action on behalf of these thousands of survivors of sexual violence to help them recover their bodies after they were broken into, defiled and killed. This is an important step for women’s participation in reconstruction, governance and politics.
It is certain that countries involved in any national reconstruction process in the post-conflict period benefit from unprecedented opportunities to strengthen gender equality in policies and programmes. One of the missions of the Ministry is to transform attitudes and behaviours at the highest levels of the State and to ensure that policies take into account the strategic interests of women, whose role in promoting peace and social cohesion is undeniable, essential elements for establishing and maintaining social order. It has a vital role to play more than ever in respecting the principle of zero tolerance for gender-based violence.
This is priceless!
All actions aimed at recording cases of sexual violence and handing them over to the right people from a point of view of justice to break the law should be undertaken and coordinated by a highly strategic institutional mechanism, not by a unit or department within a ministry. A culture of impunity exists. Incidentally, initiatives by ministries to unite multiple relevant departments are not consistent. Actions are decided by the heads of departments at their own discretion, based on their skills, experience and priorities. If there is a merger between ministries, the concerns of 52% of the population may be drowned out or left behind.
Let’s go back to history. In 1987, the government of Leslie Manigat created the Secretary of State. It was the limitations of this mechanism that led me, along with more than five (5) thousand women, to march in the streets of Port-au-Prince, under the call of the Haitian Women’s Solidarity/Sofa, to demand that the Ministry would make recommendations on women’s causes to the highest authorities of the country. The main slogan was: “Yon ministè fanm pou pote kòz fanm nan pi wo nivo leta”.
That was March 8, 1991.
At the National Palace, the head of the presidency decided to open the gates to welcome the demonstrators. With my notebook with my demands in hand, I climbed the stairs to the square where stood Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassègue, respectively the president and the minister of communications.
After taking stock of the situation, I put forward demands related to women’s economic, social, cultural and political rights. Finally, the Ministry of the Status of Women needs to translate these demands into public policies that benefit women.
In 1993, during the bloody military coup, when the government was in exile, I had the opportunity to go to Washington to meet with those responsible and reiterate the demands of women, while also emphasizing the importance of this institutional mechanism and the role it played in giving Haitian women a voice in all international reflection spaces, as a prelude to the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women.
In 1994, Dr. Lise Marie Dejean told SOFA that she was approached by then Prime Minister Smark Michel to head the Ministry. Convinced of the role of this mechanism in the pursuit of gender equality goals, I immediately gave my approval. The responsibility for establishing the Ministry throughout the territory fell to me.
I am developing my plan according to the timetable approved by the Minister. This involves consulting women’s organizations across the country to select the regional coordinators. I travel the country to meet with women’s groups. During the meetings, I explain to them the rationale, role of the Ministry and the criteria and profile of women who hold the function of regional representatives.
The next step is to support the coordinators in team building at the municipal level and develop a legal training program so that they can provide adequate quality services to women victims of violence in terms of reception, listening and advice.
The idea of bringing public services closer to women has been present since the birth of the Ministry. From January 2007, survivors of sexual assault can get a free medical certificate wherever they are. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice on the provision of free medical certificates related to sexual and/or marital assault will issue a single legal document to anyone in the event of a sexual assault. A licensed medical practitioner. The normative mandate of the Ministry requires it to develop a set of tools to collect data on gender-based violence at the national level in order to guarantee its reliability and facilitate better decision-making in this area.
The existence of the Ministry predates Section “H” of the Beijing Platform for Action, which deals with institutional mechanisms. This document, adopted by Haiti in 1995, requires the government to take measures to promote gender equality. In addition, it should be noted that the preparatory meetings of the United Nations provided Haiti (where I was a representative at the time) with an opportunity to make its contribution by presenting Section “J” on “Women and the Media”. Haiti’s contribution fundamentally addresses gender representation and stereotypes in media content and the role of women in the communications industry. Thus, the Ministry ensures effective and high-quality representation and visibility of the country in international bodies.
The Ministry is responsible for ensuring the application and coordination of international instruments on women’s rights to which Haiti is a party. The plan on equality and violence against women will not only help to reduce the gap between men and women, but also to obtain sufficient data to report to international bodies on Haiti’s progress in “equality”. The Ministry regularly prepares a report assessing the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The amendment and harmonization of legislation is part of the harmonization dynamic. The 2006 decree criminalizing rape is consistent with the Belém do Pará Convention, the 2014 law establishing fathers’ responsibility for their children (whether born outside or outside marriage) is consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the constitutional quota of at least 30% of children for women is consistent with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Of course, the results would be more significant if the Ministry could escape the maneuvers of politicians who always try to exploit it, or even distort it. However, its usefulness to women, from a national and international perspective, no longer needs to be proven.
From a strategic perspective of equality, the Ministry should not question its existence but seek concerted support from the Government, including adequate and sustainable human and financial resources, to ensure a more effective and systematic approach to: the design, preparation, coordination of policies and their implementation, the viability and legitimacy of feminism and women’s organizations, and the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the State civil service by promoting a gender-integrated work culture. It is time to free this institutional mechanism, which has become part of the Haitian administrative landscape, from any threats to its existence.
* Linguist/Feminist
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