Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 6 June 2024: Media in Saint Kitts and Nevis are now better positioned to report on, and initiate conversations on social protection matters thanks to a recently concluded Social Protection for Media Professionals workshop.
The event, which brought together representatives from broadcast and social media at the Marriott Hotel, framed social protection within the context of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals. It explored available services across the Eastern Caribbean (including Saint Kitts and Nevis) and debunked popular misconceptions surrounding social protection. The importance of using the media to tell stories in meaningful, sensitive and resonant ways was also discussed.
Speaking during the workshop, Ms. Azilla Clarke, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, stressed the importance of the media as a key partner. “Persons choose how they access information and many of them choose media houses over government entities. So, we need to share information with our media houses to help us educate, inform and advocate for the social protection system and its beneficiaries,” she noted.
In addition to public education and awareness, the role of the media as change agents was emphasized by Mr. Cosbert Woods, United Nations Country Coordination Officer for Saint Kitts and Nevis. He remarked, “Notwithstanding the valiant efforts of our social protection officers, partnerships with the media are needed to ensure that access to information about available services and rights and responsibilities are provided to those who need to navigate life’s uncertainties.” He added, “If we can empower the media to see themselves as strategic allies for change then we can leverage their skill sets in advocacy and communication to evoke the necessary transformation in our social protection efforts.”
Media practitioners welcomed the event, suggesting that it would lead to social protection stories gaining more traction. According to Andre Huie, President of the Media Association of Saint Kitts and Nevis, “As media we are inundated by so many topics each day and sometimes issues like social protection aren’t high on our agenda. Certainly, this workshop has now brought it into focus. It allowed us to pay greater attention to matters related to social protection and how important it is in supporting vulnerable persons and…the development of countries. I am hopeful that it will change our focus in terms of our news agenda.”
The media training was delivered by the Resilient Caribbean: Engaging and Training Youth, Strengthening Integrated Social Protection Sector Delivery Joint Programme which is being implemented by four UN agencies in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the wider Eastern Caribbean through the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission. Capacity strengthening for enhancing social protection systems is a priority for the joint programme.
The workshop formed part of a suite of services on which the programme is currently collaborating with the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis including a two-day ’bootcamp’ for public sector officials implementing social protection programmes, aimed at bolstering their communication skills and better positioning them to speak about their work and its impact.
Written by the UN in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Note:
All joint programs of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
