The Backstory
This body of work is driven by my desire to empower women. My upbringing in the
Caribbean has encouraged an interest in issues that women face. The culture is dissected
into groups based on class hierarchies. Within this class structure, there is also a lack
of opportunities for too many.
In his article written for the Inter Press Service News Agency in March of this year,
journalist Peter Richards writes of a Caribbean culture of sexual coercion and violence
leading to rising numbers of HIV infections. Although I have been fortunate in not
having had experienced these issues, many women and girls are subject to
these inequities.
“The fight against widespread sexual violence in the Caribbean has been joined by
a high-profile new women’s coalition that warns it could be a major reason for the
spread of HIV among women and girls in the region. The Caribbean Coalition on Women,
Girls and AIDS (CCWA) said ‘the role of sexual violence in HIV transmission is becoming
clearer. One study found that for nearly 50 percent of adolescent girls, their first sexual
