On July 1, 2026, Haitian officials and international stakeholders gathered in the coastal Grand’Anse department to mark a landmark step forward for women’s rights in the country: the official inauguration of a purpose-built Women’s Center focused on supporting survivors of gender-based violence and advancing women’s economic and social independence.
Led by Pedrica Saint Jean, Haiti’s Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF), the inauguration ceremony opened with a blessing service officiated by Reverend Father Edner Mars, followed by a traditional ribbon-cutting that formalized the opening of the new facility. The event drew a broad cross-section of governmental, civil society, and international partners, including Jérémie Mayor Onel Jacinthe, Jérémie First Instance Court Government Commissioner Jean Marie Alexandre Geatjens, UN Women Haiti Deputy Representative Sophie Havyarimana, Jérémie Vice-Delegate Wilbert Chéry, and Kerling Gaspard Saint Juste, the MCFDF’s departmental director for Grand’Anse.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Mayor Onel Jacinthe reinforced the municipal government’s unwavering commitment to backing all initiatives that lift up women and girls who have survived violence. He called for broad grassroots civic participation, urging local residents to collaborate closely with the ministry and supporting institutions to strengthen the national fight against gender-based violence, which he described as a persistent societal scourge.
Commissioner Jean Marie Alexandre Gaetjens brought sharp attention to a growing crisis facing the region: he reported a concerning upward trend in gender-based violence cases logged by the Jérémie Public Prosecutor’s Office. He stressed that sexual violence must not be dismissed as isolated, private incidents, but treated as the serious criminal offense it is, requiring strict, uncompromising judicial action. “There is no room for impunity. Every complaint brought before the courts will be examined with all the rigor required by law,” Gaetjens said, adding that no social, family, or political pressure would be allowed to interfere with the equal application of the law. He urged survivors, their families, and all community members to break long-standing cultures of silence by reporting all acts of violence to authorities.
Sophie Havyarimana, deputy representative for UN Women in Haiti, welcomed the Haitian government’s investment in the Grand’Anse center, noting it is the first facility of its kind in the department. She called the inauguration a major milestone in building out robust national protection and support systems for violence survivors. Havyarimana emphasized that violence against women and girls remains an unacceptable violation of fundamental human rights, one that can only be defeated through coordinated collective action from government, community groups, and international partners. “We have a duty to break the silence. It is unacceptable to tolerate violence against women and girls. Together, we must put an end to this phenomenon so that every woman and girl can live in a safe, dignified environment free from all forms of violence,” she said.
Jérémie Vice-Delegate Wilbert Chéry framed the fight against gender-based violence as a core priority for upholding social cohesion and driving Haiti’s long-term sustainable development. No country can achieve meaningful progress when half its population is blocked from accessing their fundamental rights, he noted, and reaffirmed the need for ongoing, coordinated action from public authorities and all sectors of Haitian society to guarantee women and girls effective protection, full exercise of their rights, and equal opportunities to contribute to national development.
In her keynote address, Minister Pedrica Saint Jean explained that the new Grand’Anse Women’s Center is part of a broader national strategy to build a Haitian state that is proactive, protective, and responsive to women’s rights. “The establishment of the Women’s Center in Grand’Anse is part of a clear national vision: that of a state that protects, listens, and acts. It is based on fundamental principles: equality, social justice, security, solidarity, and the empowerment of women,” Saint Jean said. She outlined the dual symbolic and practical value of the new facility, describing it as “a space of dignity, listening, and rebuilding” where every survivor of violence will receive respectful, non-judgmental support at every stage of their recovery. The center will deliver integrated, multidisciplinary services spanning medical care, mental health support, social assistance, and legal aid, to remove barriers to justice for survivors. Beyond direct support, it will also serve as a hub for prevention education and community-wide cultural change to reduce rates of gender-based violence.
Closing the ceremony, Saint Jean emphasized that the new center is not a final achievement, but the start of a renewed commitment from the Haitian state to the women of Haiti. “The Women’s Center of Grand’Anse is not an end. It is the beginning of a new pact between the State and the women of Haiti: a pact of protection, justice, and dignity,” she said.