press release

Women across Trinidad and Tobago are interested in learning how they can protect themselves. This was evident when insurance and financial services entity Sagicor hosted a personal safety webinar on July 8 where the wider public was invited to register via the company’s social media platforms.

Due to the overwhelming response, the insurer had to close the registration two days early. Over 563 people signed up to learn how women can protect themselves in the event of a personal threat. The dramatisations were conducted by Roger Evelyn, an instructor with the Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety. The institute is dedicated to offering access to first-class professional education and training in the areas of security and public safety at affordable rates.

Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Asha Nabbie, said, “The webinar was part of Sagicor’s larger gender awareness campaign—Protect our Women—that we launched in May. The overall campaign aims to draw attention to the deadly issue of gender-based violence in Trinidad and Tobago. This session, which followed on from the ‘Sagicor Safety Tips for Women’ that was aired on radio and shared on the company’s social media platforms, was meant to give persons practical ways for them to manage their personal safety in the current environment.”

The Rape Crisis Society (RCS) welcomed the partnership with Sagicor for this event. Megan King-Cadett, the Outreach Officer at the NGO, said, “Our participation in Sagicor’s Protect Our Women Initiative and safety webinar allowed RCS to engage with members of the public and for them to learn more about our services. Moreover, it echoed the voices of women to feel heard, to feel safe. During the session women uncovered different avenues to protect themselves against perpetrators. The Rape Crisis Society endorses such preventative measures. Not only will it enable women to acquire new skills, but also illuminates hope. Hope for a better tomorrow!”

The insurer poured $250,000 into a four-month campaign that ends in August to support  four NGOs dedicated to the fight: the Rape Crisis Society of Trinidad and Tobago; The Shelter; Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Families in Action, with $100,000 being directly donated to them to further their intervention programmes.