A large group of nurses from across the Corporate Area and beyond staged a march in the vicinity of the National Heroes Circle to raise awareness of the country’s ongoing struggle with child abuse and violence against women, under the slogan: ‘Break the Silence, End the Violence’.

The march comes in the aftermath of a series of violent acts against women and children, particularly the assault of a nurse by businessman Robert Bell that was caught on video, and the kidnapping and suspected murder of UTech student nurse Anisa Dilworth.

President of the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica, Dawn-Marie Richards, told Our Today on Monday that the nurses and other groups gathered were not engaged in a protest or even a demonstration, but a campaign dedicated to highlighting the injustices that were being committed.

“This is a sensitisation towards the things of gender-based violence…specifically towards women and children. [This is a message for] all Jamaica, because most groups are here, those involved in this kind of discussion, they would have been here today,” Richards said.

The NAJ had been joined by several other key figures and interest groups, including members from the Bureau of Gender Affairs, the Minister of Health, Dr Cristopher Tufton, Opposition Spokesperson for Health Dr Alfred Dawes, Culture and Gender Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, and Junior Minister in the Health Ministry Juliett Cuthbert Flynn.

The initial awareness march started a few hours earlier at the University Hospital of the West Indies by nurses at 8:00 am. The other participants assembled later at the Heroes Circle. From there, they walked into downtown Kingston and then through Crossroads, before returning to their assembly point.

In her closing address to the assembled crowd, Dawn-Marie Richards made clear that future activities of this scale were being planned. “This is just the beginning,” she said. “The momentum here must be kept. All Jamaicans must understand what happened to our colleague, what happened to the nine-year-old, what has happened to the student from UTech, is unacceptable.”

The Nurses Association of Jamaica intends to promote future events via their Instagram page, and encourages individuals with an interest to contact them via the appropriate channels.