ACTIVISM
Lindxee Collins Cops Inaugural Art Prize by Leigh-Ann Worrell L indxee Collins , a first- year law student, has emerged as the winner of the inaugural Arts for Activism—A Youth Art Competition , a collaborative initiative
Juliette Maughan , Senior Partnerships Officer at WFP Caribbean, underscored the importance of investing in social protection responses to disasters and crises, specifically tailored to protect women and girls from the unique violence they face. She highlighted support pathways, such as offering cash assistance, food, and implementing monitoring systems to capture vulnerable individuals. Dr. Daniele Bobb , Lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, expressed gratitude to the World Food Programme for their continued collaboration in raising awareness on gender- based violence through the sponsorship of communications and awareness products. She also emphasised the significance of artistic expression in advocacy and social justice, noting that art serves as a powerful tool for inspiring, provoking thought, and fostering dialogue. “Caribbean women’s fight for gender equality and justice is founded on attentiveness to intersections among ethnicity, nationhood, class, gender, economic exploitation, development, global capitalism, and the state, and it embraces a commitment to outreach and activism to better the lives of our women and girls. We are seeing the emergence of young women who develop this consciousness with more accessible forms such as art,” Bobb said. u World Food Programme Representative and Country Director Regis Chapman (left) presents Lindxee Collins with her prize.
between the Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit and the World Food Programme (WFP) Caribbean Multi- Country Office . The competition was organised in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence , an international campaign that spans from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). The theme of the competition was Violence and Vulnerabilities , focussing on addressing the vulnerabilities that women and girls face during moments of crises and disaster, in alignment with the World Food Programme’s strategic areas of work. Collins’ winning digital art piece, titled “Not Forgotten” , poignantly highlights women’s vulnerabilities during times of crises while proposing measures to reduce these harms. During the prize-giving ceremony held last December, 18-year-old Collins shared her thoughts on the pervasive issue of violence against girls and women, emphasising the need to recognise them beyond mere statistics.
“Violence against girls and women is not a foreign issue to our society; unfortunately, it is a problem that has pervaded all our societal institutions, especially for us in the Caribbean region … It is only when we recognise that girls and women are more than statistics, and when we truly recognise their identity as human beings, worthy of recognition, can this be combatted. It is only when all girls and women and all those who truly wish for the best interests of women and girls firmly unite to advocate in holding individuals, systems and governments accountable, will these vulnerabilities be combatted. I believe that there must further be a caribbeanisation of this movement [against gender-based violence] to see these vulnerabilities in our indigenous countries and so effectively work to fight against them and rise above them,” Collins added.
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