Port of Spain, November 25, 2024- The International Planned Parenthood Federation Regional Office in the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO) proudly announces the launch of the campaign “What Kind of Man Are You?”, aimed at engaging men and boys across the Caribbean to take an active role in eliminating violence against women. This initiative, developed in collaboration with a Caribbean taskforce, emphasizes the importance of young men becoming allies in building a safer, more just society for all.   

“We want men and boys to feel empowered to be part of the solution,” said Eugenia Lopez Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF ACRO. “This campaign speaks directly to the men we care about, inspiring them to step up and join us in creating a world where women can live free from violence. A world of social justice cannot exist without their active participation.”  

The campaign highlights that violence against women is a crisis that deeply affects the Caribbean region. According to UNFPA Caribbean, 27–40% of women in countries like Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago have reported experiencing violence at the hands of their partners. The forms of violence are wide-ranging and include intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and sexual violence.   

Traditionally, campaigns addressing violence against women have positioned men as bystanders or perpetrators rather than allies. "What Kind of Man Are You?" flips this narrative, calling on men to become their best selves—not only for the women they care about but for their entire communities.   

Through this campaign, IPPF ACRO emphasizes that building a world free of violence requires the participation of everyone, especially men who want to ensure better futures for their daughters, wives, sisters, and friends.   

The campaign is launched to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, marking the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This annual campaign runs until December 10, International Human Rights Day, and calls for global action to end atrocities such as intimate partner violence, digital violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and rape.   

IPPF ACRO, alongside its partners in Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago, has a longstanding commitment to preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based violence. Together, they provide essential services, including safe shelters, counseling, and prevention and response programs for survivors.   

For media inquiries or further information about the campaign, please contact:   Andrea Alcalá, Communications, Voice, and Media Officer, IPPF ACRO at [email protected], or +52 33 1409 6790.