Skills Training Offers Economic Empowerment to GBV Survivors in Tobago               

 Tangerine-coloured thread peeks out between Stacy's* quivering thumb and index finger as she tries to steady her aim. She peers down intently to pinpoint her target – an opening a mere millimetre wide. With a delicately poised push, the thread snakes through the eye of the needle and slides out the other side.

“I think I’m going to need glasses by the time I’m finished with sewing,” she laughs.

She plucks a playful pattern from among the available fabrics – a swathe of auburn and black abstract designs on polyester. After guiding the cloth into place, Stacy applies gentle pressure to the foot pedal to kickstart the sewing machine. The motor whirs as the needle drives the stitch along the edge of the material – the beginning of a new skirt.

Just three months ago, using a sewing machine had been an alluring but intimidating prospect for Stacy. Learning to sew had always been a dream, but one she never had the opportunity to pursue. That chance came from Women of Substance, an NGO in Lowlands, Tobago that is dedicated to supporting survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Now, Stacy plans to use her sewing skills to start a business.

“After I made my first piece of clothing, I decided to work even harder because I really want this. Now, I just have to get over my left-handed awkwardness,” she chuckles. “But I got this.”

Stacy is one of 20 participants learning garment construction and cosmetology through courses offered by Women of Substance. Classes take place in a multipurpose room at a church in Lowlands.

The NGO’s founder, Onika Mars, makes the workshops available to unemployed women.

A few are migrants from Venezuela. Many are single mothers.

All have experienced some form of abuse from a romantic partner.

“I always thought about supporting women’s economic empowerment,” Onika says. “A lot of women stay in abusive relationships because they are financially dependent on their partner, so I wanted to help them get the skills that could help them become an entrepreneur. That would build their confidence and they would feel empowered.”

Since the inception of Women of Substance in 2017, Onika has supported nearly 400 survivors through art therapy, support groups and confidence-building workshops. She also provides women with emergency shelter and donations of basic hygiene items and clothing. But this was the first time she was venturing into skills training, and she sought the support of UN Women through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative programme.

With funding from Spotlight, Onika is able to offer the classes free-of-charge, pay a project coordinator, recruit facilitators and supply all the training material for her participants. For women without transportation, she hires a taxi to get them to and from the workshops.  If the mothers have no one to supervise their children at home, Onika insists they bring the little ones to class.

“UN Women and the Spotlight Initiative understand the challenges the women face and the challenges NGOs face with funding,” Onika says. “I believe UN Women and Spotlight honour real stories. NGOs like mine are run by people who have real stories. I am a survivor of intimate partner violence. UN Women listened to my vision to expand my help to survivors, and I was happy that someone saw the value in this idea to empower these women so they can, in turn, empower other women.”

Representative of the UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean, Tonni Brodber, says economic empowerment solutions like the one offered by Women of Substance play an invaluable role in giving survivors the tools they need for financial self-reliance.

 “In the ongoing work to end GBV, the pivotal role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) like Women of Substance cannot be overstated. They cannot do it alone though, they need partnership and collaboration from all sectors. Financial support and capacity strengthening support. Through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, UN Women MCO Caribbean distributed small grants to 19 women-led small businesses and offered over 100 capacity building workshops to CSOs across the Caribbean. As Spotlight transitions UN Women will continue to support CSOs, because they are the movers and shakers and impact makers creating crucial environments for healing and support.”

Andrea* was already comfortable using a sewing machine when she joined the Women of Substance classes, but she wanted to upgrade her skills to master dressmaking. She also saw value in acquiring an additional skill by learning to braid hair.

She whizzed through the sewing course. Styling women’s locs hasn’t been as easy.

“The first time I tried it, my braids were trash,” Andrea chuckles. “But I am getting better. Today’s class is kicking my tail, but I think I’ll be okay."

As a stay-at-home mom, her priority is supporting her four-year-old son. She wants to continue doing that while running a business from her home in Mt. Pleasant.

“I do dress alterations on a small scale, and people would approach me and ask me to make full dresses or skirts for them. I would always turn them down because I wasn’t confident I had the skills to do it, but now that I know my way around making a pattern for someone and customizing the design, this can make an income for me. It would change everything for me, because it means I can contribute to my household and go from a one-income household to two incomes.”

To help the women make the next step in setting up their own business ventures, Onika has partnered with public sector agencies to host sessions with the women on the keys to successful entrepreneurship. She is also seeking out opportunities for apprenticeships so the women can be mentored by established seamstresses, designers and hairdressers.

“I think she is phenomenal,” Andrea says of Onika, tears in her eyes. “It gets me emotional to say that. Going from a place where I had challenges in the past to that place of knowing, ‘Hey, you can do this,’ has been a special journey for me. This programme has really been life-changing.”

To contact Women of Substance or support one of their initiatives, call 485-9534 or visit their website at womenofsubstance.org.tt

*Names changed to protect the identities of the participants.