Gender-based violence is not only prevalent, it is also highly pervasive in many Caribbean countries. Ronelle King, Founder and Director of Life in Leggings discusses how this organisation is leveraging technology to reduce the rape culture and the occurrence of gender-based violence in the region, along with the challenges of balancing sustainability as a non-profit.
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Did you know that:
- Globally, almost one in three women have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life.
- Most violence against women is perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners.
- Of those who have been in a relationship, almost one in four adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband.
- In 2018, an estimated one in seven women had experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband in the past 12 months.
(Source: United Nations Women)
The above are sobering statistics and just a few that are available on the violence against women. However, when many of us think of gender-based violence, that is violence committed against an individual due to stereotypes and roles attributed to or expected of them according to their sex or gender identity, we may focus on the extreme forms that end up being reported the news, either occurring here in the Caribbean, or internationally. But, gender-based violence is far more prevalent that we might initially believe, especially when situations such as stalking, sexual harassment and domestic abuse, to name just a few, are also considered.
We are resuming our series on technology-based social enterprises – that is, tech businesses that have social impact among their core objectives. The organisation that we will be focussing on is Life in Leggings, which is seeking to make an impact in the gender-based violence space.
Introducing our guest
Ronelle King is a human rights advocate and the Founder and Director of Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence through Education, Empowerment and Community Outreach. Life in Leggings began as a viral social media movement #lifeinleggings in 2016, and has evolved into a grassroots organisation and registered charity based in Barbados. It aims to reduce the pervasive rape culture in the Caribbean and help to eradicate the occurrence of gender-based violence in the region.
In 2019, Ronelle co-founded Pink Parliament, an initiative which encourages girls between the ages of 14 and 20 years old to consider careers in politics. Through her work, she has been a driving force in highlighting key issues pertaining to gender rights, youth development and the protection of marginalised communities. She views her work as helping to create an inclusive, sustainable and equitable region for all.
Ronelle received the 2017 Youth Hero (Female) Award by the Barbados Youth Development Council and the 2018 Queen’s Young Leader Award by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, for her dedication to reducing gender inequality in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.
Insights into our conversation
In the hypersexual environment that seems to exist in many Caribbean countries, gender-based violence is a subject that many want to avoid. But the harrowing stories that rip the headlines on an all too regular basis, and the thousands (or even millions) who are suffering in silence, emphasise the fact that ending gender-based violence requires urgent, concerted and sustained effort.
In the conversation with Ronelle, two things came to the fore. First, gender-based violence is pervasive in the Caribbean region, and may take generations to eradicate it. Second, and unlike most of the other social enterprises we have interviewed, as a charity, Life in Leggings is experiencing the challenge of balancing social impact with sustainability, which also affects the extent to which it has been leveraging technology. However, as an organisation that is trying change the mindset associated with gender-based violence in Caribbean societies, the journey –regardless of the technologies used – is a marathon, not a sprint.
Below are some of the key questions posed to Ronelle during the course of our conversation.
- To start us off, tell us a bit of yourself, and what drove you to set up Life in Leggings?
- What are the ways in which Life in Leggings has been leveraging technology?
- How do you balance the social impact versus the sustainability/profitability imperatives you might have for Life in Leggings?
- What has been some of the successes Life in Leggings has been able to realise to date?
- What has been the biggest lesson you have had to learn in running Life in Leggings?
- How would you describe yourself as a manager, as the leader of your organisation?
- What is the best piece of advice you would give a tech start-up that is wants to start a social enterprise?
- Where would you like to see Life in Leggings in the next 3 to 5 years?
We would love to hear from you!
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Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:
- Ronelle King
- Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-based Violence
- Pink Parliament
- Council of Europe, Types of gender-based violence
Image credits: Life in Leggings / R King
Music credit: Ray Holman
Podcasting support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez
Great conversation.
I particularly picked on the point of the psychological effect, this sort of violence has on the victim including society as a whole, especially long term psychological effects. A point probably hardly fully appreciated.
I found the simplicity in which technology is harnessed quite remarkable. I, for one, strongly believe that the simpler the tools ( technology or otherwise ) to leverage better outcomes, the better.