KINGSTON, JAMAICA – In a major step forward for global gender equity, Jamaica has joined seven other nations from every inhabited continent as a founding member of a new United Kingdom-led international coalition dedicated to eradicating violence against women and girls. The initiative, which bolsters ongoing global work to secure a world where women and girls are free from violence, abuse and systemic fear, was launched last week at London’s Global Partnerships Conference by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Alongside host nation the United Kingdom and Jamaica, the founding coalition members are South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Australia. This diverse group of nations has united to turn shared policy commitments into tangible, on-the-ground action to prevent gender-based violence across all contexts. Per an official release published this Tuesday, the coalition will prioritize addressing three critical pervasive threats: domestic abuse, sexual violence, and online harassment, while also strengthening global systems to prevent sexual violence in conflict zones and humanitarian emergencies.
Global data underscores the urgent need for coordinated cross-border action: the United Nations estimates that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime, marking gender-based violence as a ongoing global public health and human rights emergency. Through this new partnership, member states will collaborate to share specialized expertise, scale up evidence-based prevention programs, expand responses centered on the needs of survivors, and support the development or strengthening of national action plans. The framework also prioritizes improving accountability mechanisms to ensure perpetrators are held legally responsible for their crimes.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Cooper emphasized that transnational collaboration is non-negotiable to advancing global women’s safety. She referenced a February visit to the border of Sudan, where she met young women who shared firsthand accounts of rape, abduction, and grotesque systemic sexual violence perpetrated amid ongoing conflict. “I will make sure their voices are heard and fight to end violence for every single one of them, and for the one in three women globally who will experience sexual or physical abuse in their lifetime,” Cooper said.
Cooper added that the coalition’s diverse membership reflects a shared global ambition to prioritize gender safety. “From the UK, to Brazil, to South Africa and beyond, women deserve to live free from fear of violence. And because there can be no peace, security or prosperity for any of us until they do,” she noted.
Jamaica’s senior leadership has widely embraced the country’s role in the coalition, reaffirming the island nation’s longstanding commitment to tackling gender-based violence. Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, noted that addressing violence against women and girls requires more than just strong legislation and policy frameworks. It demands coordinated, survivor-centered public systems that deliver effective protection, responsive support, and proactive prevention. “Jamaica remains committed to strengthening our gender architecture, expanding support services for survivors, addressing harmful masculinities, and advancing collective global action to end all forms of gender-based violence,” Grange said, praising the UK for its leadership in advancing the global campaign.
Alicia Herbert OBE, British High Commissioner to Jamaica, welcomed Jamaica’s founding membership, noting that the partnership reflects shared values and policy priorities between the two nations. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to prevention, survivor-centred support, stronger systems of protection, and holding perpetrators to account. By working together and learning from one another, we can help build safer communities and create a future where women and girls are safe, empowered and able to thrive,” Herbert said.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, also lauded the new initiative, highlighting the value of ongoing international collaboration with the UK. “We welcome continued collaboration with partners such as the United Kingdom as we build on our progress, strengthen protections, expand support and ensure women and girls can live free from violence and realise their full potential,” Johnson Smith said.
The new global coalition aligns with the UK government’s domestic policy goal to cut rates of violence against women and girls in half over the next decade. It also forms a key part of broader global efforts to center women and girls in international peace, security, and development policy. Moving forward, the coalition will deepen practical cooperation between member states, and the UK will host a major international summit next year where participating nations will outline new commitments and release public progress reports on their work to end gender-based violence.