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Following the tragic gender-based violence (GBV) deaths of two employees in 2021, Liberty Caribbean—parent company of telecommunications provider Flow Trinidad—has implemented a comprehensive corporate response that has now gained international recognition.

The company received the Best Diversity and Inclusion Initiative award at the 2025 Global Connectivity Awards in London on October 22, specifically acknowledged for its GBV policy framework. Dominic Boon, Vice President of People at Liberty Caribbean, revealed the policy emerged from internal reflection after losing employees in Barbados and Puerto Rico to domestic violence incidents.

This proactive approach includes multiple support mechanisms: temporary housing assistance, office relocation options, counseling coverage, flexible work arrangements, and financial support for legal proceedings. The policy extends protection to all employees and their children, administered through a specially trained HR team that ensures discreet support while maintaining workplace safety.

The company’s GBV awareness efforts are particularly emphasized during the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign (November 25-December 10), with various markets conducting educational seminars. Leadership demonstrates commitment through visible support, including wearing advocacy T-shirts at senior meetings and sponsoring events like The Shelter for Battered Women and Children’s charity golf tournament.

Liberty Caribbean has also fostered gender diversity organically, resulting in women holding 46% of leadership positions (director level and above), including the CEO role. In Trinidad and Tobago, the entire senior leadership team comprises women—a testament to the company’s belief that diverse leadership yields better decision-making.

The initiative has already produced tangible results: five employees have utilized the policy this year alone to receive customized support. While the company doesn’t involve authorities without consent, it encourages employees to seek police assistance when facing GBV situations.

By making their policy openly available to other organizations, Liberty Caribbean aims to create broader regional impact, using their brand recognition to transform societal attitudes and provide actionable support for GBV victims throughout the Caribbean.

After an eight-year hiatus, the renowned First Impression Brash and Sassy organization is revitalizing its biblical-themed children’s pageant on December 13th at Union Claxton Bay Senior Secondary School. The event marks a significant comeback following economic challenges and pandemic-related disruptions that temporarily suspended the program.

Six young delegates aged 7-12 will compete for the title while embodying iconic Women of the Bible. This year’s participants include: Zendaya Pierre as Mary of Nazareth, Jerusha Osborne as Martha, Heaven Rouse as Pharaoh’s daughter, Asia-Leigh Allen as Esther, Zaharah Williams as Hannah, and Destiny Joseph as Eve.

The competition structure incorporates four distinctive segments: a thematic introduction centered on ‘Jesus Is King’, personalized presentations of their biblical characters, talent demonstrations, and an evening gown parade featuring traditional Christmas colors of red, green, and white. Contestants will additionally be tested on their biblical knowledge through memory verse recitations.

Norma Bramble-Joseph, founder and coordinator of the 30-year-old organization, emphasizes that the pageant serves as an educational platform to instill biblical values in youth. ‘This concert is the way forward to encourage children to understand biblical values and to include Christ in every aspect of life,’ she stated. The organization has historically focused on ‘training princesses to become queens’ through comprehensive instruction in ethics, self-deportment, fundamental self-care, table etiquette, and biblical lessons.

The event commences at 5:30 PM, representing both a celebration of faith and a testament to community resilience in maintaining cultural and religious traditions for younger generations.

The Rio Claro community in Trinidad and Tobago finds itself grappling with escalating violent crime as residents express both support and skepticism regarding the newly passed Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Bill, 2025.

Recent months have witnessed a disturbing pattern of violent attacks plaguing this eastern district. On November 25, two masked assailants—one armed with a cutlass, the other with a firearm—stormed a San Pedro business establishment around 2:45 pm. The attackers subdued two male proprietors, aged 62 and 50, binding them before brutally beating the victims and ransacking both their commercial premises and residence. The confrontation culminated with the younger victim being shot in the leg before the perpetrators fled.

This incident follows an earlier assault captured on CCTV footage at a Rio Claro bar, where two masked individuals in long-sleeved clothing accosted a waitress cleaning the lobby. The surveillance recording documented the woman’s terrified screams as she attempted to escape, only to be violently thrown to the floor. The assailants spent two minutes and twenty-five seconds systematically stealing her purse, snacks, and various items from behind the counter.

Tragedy struck again earlier in November when 58-year-old Sylvan Boodhan of Tabaquite Road was fatally shot in the head during an 8:30 am meeting in San Pedro. Despite residents alerting authorities to the suspected killer’s escape, police response failed to apprehend the individual.

Local sources speaking under strict anonymity reveal these represent merely a fraction of approximately ten recent attacks, with many occurring in broad daylight since September. A pervasive climate of fear has prevented numerous incidents from being formally reported due to concerns about retaliation.

This atmosphere of intimidation has severely hampered law enforcement efforts. One business owner disclosed that even when CCTV footage exists, residents routinely refuse to provide evidence to investigators. “Nobody is willing to give the footage. People are saying their cameras are not working. They just safeguard themselves,” the resident explained.

The community remains divided on legislative solutions. While some residents enthusiastically support the stand-your-ground legislation, believing it will provide essential protection, others question its practical effectiveness. A San Pedro small business owner who nostalgically recalled times when “you could sleep with your door open” argued that enhanced police presence would better address security concerns than the new law.

Critics point to potential legal pitfalls, noting that homeowners using deadly force might still face murder charges, potentially remaining in custody for over a decade before exoneration. Meanwhile, law enforcement has launched Operation Festive Shield, an anti-crime initiative designed to increase police visibility and strengthen community relationships during the upcoming Christmas and Carnival seasons.

The legislation, which passed the Senate on December 5 without amendments after clearing the House of Representatives on November 26, eliminates the duty to retreat when defending one’s dwelling and permits the use of defensive force, including lethal measures, against home invaders. Attorney General John Jeremie cited alarming statistical increases in home invasions over the past decade as justification for the bill, emphasizing how such crimes have “resulted in shattered families, loss of life, and a sense of violation both of the person and the sanctity of a person’s home.”