About Us
The Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) was founded in 1999 and introduced its Inter-generational Women’s Leadership Programme in the same year.
This programme partner girls with mature, conscious women who provide guidance and together they build sisterhood. The Big Sisters are leaders in the media, business, trade unions, politics, law, NGOs, education, culture and social development.
Our Objectives
Build sisterhood among women.
Promote women's participation in all decision making processes.
Promote respect for women's human rights and for gender justice
Promote initiatives to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women
Promote initiatives to encourage women's conscious and collective action.
Promote initiatives for the social and political transformation of our society.
Collaborate with State and Non State Actors to build a just society.
Develop alternative learning and social institutions.
Our Purpose Statement
WINAD is a women's organisation committed to strengthening the capacity and
social consciousness of women and girls to lead social transformation in Trinidad and Tobago.
WINAD's
programmes enable women and girls to explore and embrace an alternative
leadership framework which integrates the collective genius of all the
people.
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Gender, Security and Justice
All
aspects of WINAD’s work are influenced by the principles of the gender
framework. Members are trained in gender analysis and the outreach
projects are designed with the intention of introducing and or enhancing
gender analysis of situations.
As
the initiator of the discussion on small arms in the Caribbean, WINAD
has also introduced a gender perspective to understanding this
phenomenon by urging States and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to
pursue the gendered dimensions of the problem and to utilise gender
analysis for research and policy responses.
Leadership
The Inter-Generational Women's Leadership Programme
was instituted to build women's leadership; provide transformational
leadership for Trinidad and Tobago; build sisterhood and provide for the
Women's Movement in the country.
This
programme offers workshops on various issues such as globalization,
self awareness, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, political
participation, violence, , human rights, feminist theorizing, media,
advocacy, spirituality and environment. Workshops are facilitated by
WINAD members and associates.
In July 2001, WINAD introduced "The Hazel Medina Young Women's Leadership Programme".
This programme is intended to train young women in issues of human
rights, women's leadership and gender and development, including
feminist research methodologies. It promotes feminist research as a tool
for addressing women's issues and other social phenomenon.
Ours
to Honour is a tribute to women who have served the Caribbean in many
and varied ways. The project celebrates selected women's lives for a
period of one year by focusing on their achievements through activities
in the mass media and throughout WINAD's network.
Women selected for this honour so far are:
Elma Francois - Trade unionist
Professor Rhoda Reddock - Head, Centre for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies, St Augustine
Professor Eudine Barriteau - Head, Centre for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill
Gun Violence
WINAD's
small arms control work began in 2001 with an internal attempt to
analyse the increasing gun violence in Trinidad and Tobago. The work
continued in 2002 when the organisation hosted a national meeting for
the State and NGOs in a further attempt to explore and analyse the
impact that gun violence was having on the society. This meeting was
followed by a regional meeting of ten countries from the Caribbean and
Latin America. The conference called for regional research to be
conducted.
WINAD
has collaborated with community organisations to raise awareness about
the social impact of gun violence and to develop intervention
strategies.
In
2003, WINAD collaborated with the American Friends Service Committee
and the Quaker UN Office to host a round table for Caribbean NGOs to
formulate a plan of action for cooperation in the region.
In
this same year, WINAD partnered with the Pan American Health
Organisation, East Port of Spain Council of Community Organisations,
Success Laventille Networking Committee and Desperadoes Steel Orchestra
to mobilise women in Laventille (a community plagued by gun violence)
for discussions on the impact of gun violence on women's lives.
Other initiatives include the following activities and research papers:
2004 - No Guns for Christmas media campaign
2005 - Gang/Community Leaders Meeting
2006 - A Human Security Concern: The Traffick, Use and Misuse of Small Arms
and Light Weapons in the Caribbean
2007 - Youth, Peace and Justice schools based project
2007 - Caribbean Dynamics Related to Agreeing and Implementing Global
Principles for Small Arms Transfers
2008 - Small Arms Proliferation and Misuse: Towards a Caribbean Plan of Action
In
September 2006, WINAD mobilised civil society partners from across the
region and following two days of discussions and analysis, the Caribbean
Coalition of Civil Society Organisations was formed. The participating
countries are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica,
Puerto Rico, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
Following the formation of the Coalition, members embarked on a study
tour to Brazil visiting favelas and NGOs in Sao Paolo and Rio de
Janeiro.
The
Coalition lobbied CARICOM governments to support the Resolution on the
Arms Trade Treaty which was debated and voted on in the First Committee
of the United Nations in October 2006. The resolution won overwhelming
international support with all CARICOM governments supporting the
resolution. Six CARICOM governments co-sponsored the resolution. They
are: Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts
and Nevis, St Lucia and Belize.
Partnerships
WINAD has worked with groups within Trinidad and Tobago, Latin America, North America and Europe. The local organisations include, Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Friends for Life (FFL), Advocates for the Poor, East Port of Spain Council of Community Organisations, Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, Trinidad Youth Council, CARICOM Task Force on Crime and Security, Tobago Youth Council, Disabled Women’s Network, Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Catholic Commission for Social Justice, Performing Artistes, Ministry of National Security, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Estate Police Association, CAFRA, Gayelletv and Radio i95.5fm, UNICEF.
Research
WINAD continues to research and write on issues related to arms control such as human security, gender and violent crime in the Caribbean.
Advocacy
Gender equality, respect for human rights, protection and security by the State, citizen participation in decision making and safer communities.
Sensitisation
WINAD has developed a number of projects in pursuance of its goal to sensitise the population about issues affecting human development. These projects have ranged from interventions in schools, communities and State institutions.
