GLOBAL DATABASE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLSCOUNTRY-PROFILEJAMAICACOUNTRY SNAPSHOT
Jamaica
Region: Americas / Population: 2,828M / Female Population: 1,425M
image africa
Gender Inequality Index Rank
Global Gender Gap Index Rank
Lifetime Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence
Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in the last 12 months
Lifetime Non-Partner Sexual Violence
Country Snapshot Measures CEDAW
Country Snapshots were developed by UN Women on the basis of information contained in the database, completed with other relevant sources
Laws & Policies
Constitutional Provisions on Violence against Women and Girls (VAW/G)
NO
Stand-alone EVAW/G Law
YES

Domestic Violence Act (2004)

National Action Plan on VAW/G (latest one that is currently into force)
YES

National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence 2017-2027

National Strategy on VAW/G (latest one that is currently into force)
YES

Integrated into National Policy for Gender Equality (2021)

Law against Sexual Harassment
YES

Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act (2021)

Provision against Marital Rape
YES

Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act (Act 12 of 2009) *limits the scope of the protection by including conditions

Equality in Marriage and Divorce
YES

Matrimonial Clauses Act

Minimum Age of Male Marriage
18

Individuals can marry at 16 years with parental consent

Minimum Age of Female Marriage
18

Individuals can marry at 16 years with parental consent

Law Prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
NO
Assessment of Services for Women and Girls Survivors of Violence
Governance and Coordination
Existence of a governance structure or coordination mechanism
YES

The Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) operates as the National Gender Machinery. It is housed within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport

Justice
Availability of administrative data on justice
YES

Data is collected through the various courts and is managed by a Court Statistician

Number of VAW/G specialized courts
0

There are no VAW specialized courts

Number of women accessing justice services (latest year)
3,326

In 2022, 3,615 Domestic Violence cases were filed in court. 92% were filed by female applicants

Number of legal aid service organizations for VAW/G survivors
31

Number of persons who received legal advice/ legal representation from Jamaicans for Justice under the Spotlight Initiative in 2022

Police
Availability of administrative data on police
YES

Data is collected through the different Domestic Violence Intervention Centres. Data on sexual violence is collected through the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA)

Number of police stations or units specialized in EVAW/G
10

There are 10 Domestic Violence Intervention Centres operating in Jamaica.

Number of law enforcement professionals trained to respond to incidents of VAW/G in accordance with a standardized curriculum
500

Between March to December 2022, approximately 500 police constables received training to properly address cases of domestic violence.

Number of women accessing police services (latest year)
Social Services
Availability of administrative data on social services
YES

Data is collected through the Bureau of Gender Affairs

Number of social services (i.e. shelters, helplines, centres offering psycho-social counselling support)
3

Two shelters have been established. One additional shelter is planned to be established in 2023

A toll free helpline for persons experiencing GBV has been established. The Bureau of Gender Affairs estimates that they receive 500 calls a month

Number of women accessing social services (latest year)
2,957

In 2021, the national shelter admitted 12 survivors of VAWG along with 15 children, who received holistic support both with in-house services and with proper referrals.
In 2022, 15 women and 15 children accessed the shelters.
In 2021, 1,382 persons called the BGA helpline and received support.
Between March and December 2022, 2,942 persons, mainly women and girls, accessed information and services through the BGA helpline.

Health
Availability of administrative data on health
YES

The Ministry of Health and Wellness in Jamaica collects data and a request can be made for information on the number of women and girls who have reported to health facilities as a result of GBV

Number of health units that have documented and adopted a protocol for the clinical management of VAW/G survivors
N/A

In 2022, an implementation plan with monitoring and human resource gap analysis for the Sexual Assault Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at Public Health Facilities in Jamaica was developed

Experiencing Violence?
loading