Stretches of the Mighty Grynner Highway in Barbados are very dark at night despite the presence of many businesses and pedestrians.
Barbados

Walking in Fear: Inside the Everyday Survival Strategies of Women in Barbados

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On a quiet night about 25 years ago, Ann stepped out of a work event in St Michael and into a darkness that would alter the rest of her life. The Barbados journalist, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym to protect her privacy, was robbed and raped at gunpoint while waiting for a ride in a poorly lit area. The trauma has never loosened its grip. Now, every time she leaves home, safety frames her decisions. “All of my plans are based on ensuring my personal safety,” she said.

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Human Trafficking

Tricked into Sex Slavery: Global Crackdown hasn’t Stopped Caribbean Traffickers

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Talia was struggling to make ends meet as a bartender in Santiago, Cuba, when a friend told her about a lucrative job opportunity in Suriname. The 26-year-old mother — who asked to be identified by a pseudonym to protect her privacy — had never heard of the Dutch-speaking country nearly 2,000 miles away. But the promise of a job that would help her provide for her family was too much to ignore. Santiago is Cuba’s second largest city and the home of Bacardi rum, but Talia said it offered few prospects for her: Wages there are low, and many people live without consistent running water or electricity. Talia was living in Santiago, Cuba (above), when she was offered a lucrative job in Suriname.

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