UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 74) A Special Victims Unit was created within the Royal Saint Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) on 1 April, 2012, to deal with issues including domestic violence and child abuse, among others. On the island of Nevis, there are four police officers from the Special Victims Unit, which is linked to the Department of Social Services. According to reports, with the establishment of the Special Victims Unit, in the case of rape, reporting to authorities has "increased significantly".

Para 75) The Government offers counselling to victims of abuse and trains police, nurses, guidance counsellors and other government employees on domestic and gender violence.

Para 76) The Department of Gender Affairs in collaboration with the Police the government carried out public campaigns against sexual violence, through churches and workplaces, on radio, and amongst civil society.

Para 77) The Department of Gender Affairs has made available three general hotline numbers for persons seeking assistance for themselves or others with respect to domestic violence.

Para 92) The Domestic Violence Act 2014 enabled the Government through the Department of Gender Affairs to heighten awareness relating to teenage pregnancy, sexual education and violence against women and children.

Para 93) This legislation against child abuse, domestic violence classifies sexual violence, rape and incest as serious offences and establish appropriate penalties for the perpetrators, including relatives of the victim.

Para 94) The Domestic Violence Act 2014 further enabled the Government to adopt policies and legislation to combat discrimination and violence against women and children, particularly domestic and sexual violence.

Para 97) [The Equal Pay Act 2012] defines equal pay as a rate or scale of remuneration for work in which there is no element of differentiation between male and female employees.

Para 98) It ensures equal pay for men and women in the workplace and makes it an offence for an employer or his or her agent not to comply with the law.

Para 99) Moreover, the Act makes a provision for the removal and prevention of discrimination based on the gender of the employee in paid employment, and to provide for related or incidental matters.

Para 100) It empowers a court to order the payment of arrears of remuneration against an employer who is convicted of such an offence.

Para 101) Under the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act, 2012, rape is recognized as a criminal Act, rape is recognized as a criminal act, liable to penalties under the law. The maximum penalty for rape is life imprisonment.

UN Compilation:
Para 14) The subregional team stated that the Government was currently undertaking initiatives to open the way for encouraging more women into entrepreneurship through programmes supported by multilateral partners, such as the Economic Partnership Agreement. The People%u2019s Employment Programme, a poverty reduction programme, had also opened some space for entrepreneurship and asset-building among men and women.

Para 20) The subregional team noted that the Government was currently debating an amended Domestic Violence Bill 2014, which had had a second reading before Parliament, but that its adoption was still pending.

Para 30) The subregional team indicated that, although women participated fully in voting during elections and were very active in political parties, they were still severely underrepresented in political leadership positions, and there was only one woman in Parliament. It also stated that women comprised the majority of civil servants and held senior level roles within Government

Para 39) The subregional team noted that Saint Kitts and Nevis was currently subject to a standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund that left very little space for measures to address the harsh conditions facing the majority of the population, in particular women and children.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 6) JS2 recognized the efforts of Saint Kitts and Nevis in signing and committing to the following Conventions and international instruments: The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women; The Inter- American Convention on the Granting of Civil Rights to Women and the Inter-American Convention on the Granting of Political Rights to Women; The Beijing Platform for Action; The United Nations Millennium Declaration; and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.

Para 28) JS2 stated that in August 2014 the government had sought to amend the Domestic Act now retitled "The Domestic Violence Bill" (2014) which was still in draft form, and mentioned that one of the key provisions of this bill was the promotion of economic independence for victims in abusive relationships.

National Report:
Para 45) Saint Kitts and Nevis is also an avid participant of the annual 16-day campaign on Violence against Women and Girls. The 16-Day Campaign which was observed in the Federation from November 25 to December 10, 2019 was designed to demonstrate solidarity with survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, raise awareness, prevent the occurrence wherever possible, and advocate for relief and justice for the victims.
Para 47) Different public campaigns were also lead by the Ministry of Gender Affairs which featured primarily on popular call-in radio programmes. Guest panelists included staff from the Special Victims Unit of the Royal Saint Christopher and Nevis Police Force, and the National Men’s Council.
Para 48) Collaboration with the Ministry of Education resulted in the involvement of primary school children in public service announcements to condemn domestic violence and promote a kinder, gentler society; and secondary school children in public awareness raising activities, such as marches and street theatre.

UN Compilation:
Para 8) Although the Government did not support universal periodic review recommendations associated with LGBTQI rights, Saint Kitts and Nevis has shown some openness to dialogue on the issue.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 7) HRW stressed that Saint Kitts and Nevis did not have any comprehensive laws that prohibited discrimination on grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation, including in the employment, housing, access to education, and health care contexts. In this lacking legal context, discrimination against LGBT people seeped into everyday activities, whether it was availing of services such as health care, school, or riding a bus, or social activities such as going to the movies or shopping. Discrimination in the workplace can also occur. Notably, LGBT persons who faced discrimination in any sector lacked any legal avenue to seek redress for themselves or accountability for perpetrators.
Para 9) JAI reiterated that international human rights law customarily protected the right to privacy and the right to be protected against arbitrary and unlawful attacks on or interference with one’s private and family life. One’s reputation or dignity are also protected. International human rights law further establishes that matters of sexual orientation and gender identity are protected by the right to privacy and the right to be protected against arbitrary and unlawful interference with, or attacks on, one’s private and family life and one’s reputation or dignity. By criminalizing same-sex activity in the penal code, Saint Kitts and Nevis violates these international obligations. Saint Kitts and Nevis are also members states to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which strives to increase human rights protections in the region.

National Report:
Para 74) A Special Victims Unit was created within the Royal Saint Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) on 1 April, 2012, to deal with issues including domestic violence and child abuse, among others. On the island of Nevis, there are four police officers from the Special Victims Unit, which is linked to the Department of Social Services. According to reports, with the establishment of the Special Victims Unit, in the case of rape, reporting to authorities has "increased significantly".

Para 75) The Government offers counselling to victims of abuse and trains police, nurses, guidance counsellors and other government employees on domestic and gender violence.

Para 76) The Department of Gender Affairs in collaboration with the Police the government carried out public campaigns against sexual violence, through churches and workplaces, on radio, and amongst civil society.

Para 77) The Department of Gender Affairs has made available three general hotline numbers for persons seeking assistance for themselves or others with respect to domestic violence.

Para 92) The Domestic Violence Act 2014 enabled the Government through the Department of Gender Affairs to heighten awareness relating to teenage pregnancy, sexual education and violence against women and children.

Para 93) This legislation against child abuse, domestic violence classifies sexual violence, rape and incest as serious offences and establish appropriate penalties for the perpetrators, including relatives of the victim.

Para 94) The Domestic Violence Act 2014 further enabled the Government to adopt policies and legislation to combat discrimination and violence against women and children, particularly domestic and sexual violence.

UN Compilation:
Para 20) The subregional team noted that the Government was currently debating an amended Domestic Violence Bill 2014, which had had a second reading before Parliament, but that its adoption was still pending.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 4) JS2 recognized the efforts of Saint Kitts and Nevis in signing and committing to the following Conventions and international instruments: ... The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence a The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women;

Para 28) JS2 stated that in August 2014 the government had sought to amend the Domestic Act now retitled "The Domestic Violence Bill" (2014) which was still in draft form, and mentioned that one of the key provisions of this bill was the promotion of economic independence for victims in abusive relationships.