St Vincent’s (SVG) Minister of Family and Gender Affairs, Laverne Gibson-Velox, explicitly commends the government’s commitment to increasing the age of consent.
The minister stated that if an individual is not old enough to vote or pay “any is” (likely referring to NIS/taxes), they are not ready for “adult activity or childbearing”.
She emphasizes that a young person’s education and personal values are more important at that stage of life than engaging in adult activities.
This move is a part of a larger effort to address a “national crisis” involving child abuse and teenage pregnancy, which the minister notes is often the result of rape, incest, or exploitation by older men.
Gibson-Velox highlighted a specific gap in protection and specialised care for girls aged 12 to 17, which the government aims to address through both policy changes like the age of consent and the establishment of new childcare facilities.
She indicate that these measures are intended to break cycles of abuse and ensure that children have the “fighting chance” needed to grow into confident citizens.