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Discrimination in Antigua and Barbuda refers to all forms and expressions of actions that restrict social participation or deny human rights to specific groups of people in Antiguan and Barbudan society or institutions. Antigua and Barbuda struggles severely with ethnic and gender discrimination, with common issues including the gender pay gap, ethnic discrimination, and discrimination against immigrants.
Antigua and Barbuda struggles with gender discrimination. [1] [2] According to the Directorate of Gender Affairs, the most common issue in the country relating to gender discrimination is gender-based stereotypes. [3] In the country, many women head single-parent households, and often have to care for the elderly and other dependents. As women usually occupy lower paid jobs and have high levels of unpaid domestic work, this usually results in high poverty rates in women. In media, women are sexually objectified, but due to the lack of a national media regulatory body, it is hard for complaints to be made. It is also very common for women to be blamed for gender-based sexual violence. As affirmative action does not exist in Antigua and Barbuda, workforce participation for women is hindered. [4]
In 2011, 30% of people in Antigua and Barbuda were immigrants, [5] and 13% were part of an ethnic minority. [6] It is common in Antigua and Barbuda for immigrants to be told to "go back to where you came from", and people are often insulted for seeking immigration-related services. [7] According to WiredJA, CARICOM nationals are also subject to random stops by immigration officials, especially in the V. C. Bird International Airport. [8] African and CARICOM nationals are also more likely to be discriminated against and forced into human trafficking. [9] [1]
Anti-Barbudan discrimination is common in Antigua, especially among government officials and the upper class. Prime Minister Gaston Browne is a major proponent of this discrimination, in 2020 spreading false claims that Barbuda is in an inbreeding crisis, and encouraging Barbuda Council members to work with health minister Molwyn Joseph to "find a solution". [10] [11] The human rights of Barbudans are also commonly violated, with proposals made for Barbudans to have to pay for land they already legally occupy, and elections being held when Barbudans do not have access to a polling place within their constituency. [12] [13] [14]
Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign archipelagic country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.
Barbuda is an island and dependency located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda as an autonomous entity. Barbuda is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Antigua. The only settlements on the island are Codrington and its surrounding localities. Barbuda is a flat island with the western portion being dominated by Codrington Lagoon, and the eastern portion being dominated by the elevated plateau of the Barbuda Highlands, with salty ponds and scrubland spread throughout the island. The climate is classified as tropical marine.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas, The Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. It has the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973, by its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, KNH was the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. His son, Lester Bryant Bird, succeeded him as prime minister. In 1994, he was declared a "National Hero".
The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and was Prime Minister and political leader in 1994.
The monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Antigua and Barbuda. The current Antiguan and Barbudan monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Antigua and Barbuda. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Antigua and Barbuda and, in this capacity, he and other members of the Royal Family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.
Antiguan and Barbudan passports are issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda for international travel. The passport is a CARICOM passport as Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Caribbean Community.
The Barbudans are an ethnic group native to the island of Barbuda in the eastern Caribbean, primarily of Fante and other Coromantee ancestry. The Barbudans speak Barbudan Creole and the Barbudan dialect of English. The Barbudans make up the majority of the African descendant population in Barbuda, and are also located in various other English-speaking developed countries.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Antigua and Barbuda may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ citizens.
Antigua and Barbuda ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol in February 2010.
The high commissioner of India in Georgetown, Guyana is concurrently accredited to Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda maintains an honorary consulate general in New Delhi.
Prostitution in Antigua and Barbuda is legal and common. Related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited. UNAIDS estimate there to be 755 prostitutes on the islands, the majority are migrants from other Caribbean countries. They tend to move around the Caribbean, never staying in one territory for long. In 2011, prostitution was on the rise due to poor economic conditions.
Antiguan and Barbudan nationality law is regulated by the 1981 Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, the various Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Acts, the Millennium Naturalisation Act of 2004, and various British Nationality laws. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Antigua and Barbuda. Antiguan and Barbudan nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Antigua and Barbuda; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to a parent with Antiguan or Barbudan nationality. It can also be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, by investment in the country's development, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalisation. Nationality establishes one's international identity as a member of a sovereign nation. Though it is not synonymous with citizenship, rights granted under domestic law for domestic purposes, the United Kingdom, and thus the commonwealth, has traditionally used the words interchangeably.
Joanne Maureen Massiah is an Antiguan and Barbudan politician and former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke. Currently, she is the President of the Democratic National Alliance.
Antigua and Barbuda is mostly of African descent, with Antiguans and Barbudans being classified into seven ethnic divisions as of the last census in 2011. In that census, 81,066 people declared their ethnicity, out of a total population of 86,295. In descending order, the largest ethnic groups are: Africans, other mixed, Hispanic, white, Indian, other, mixed (black/white), and Syrian/Lebanese. All inhabited parishes and dependencies in the country are majority-African.
At the 2011 census, there were 25,549 immigrants in Antigua and Barbuda, or 30% of the population. Immigrants usually originate from other Caribbean countries and places that have large Antiguan and Barbudan populations.
According to the World Health Organisation, Antigua and Barbuda had an average life expectancy at birth of 77.6 years in 2020. Antigua and Barbuda maintains a very high human development index as of 2022. Generally, women are more likely than men to have some kind of disability. Barbudans are more likely than Antiguans to have a disability of some kind. The country's health policy is overseen by the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation and the Environment.
Crime in Antigua and Barbuda is generally considered to be low. Under the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda and the Barbuda Council may make criminal legislation. The main law enforcement agency in the country is the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, with the participation of other agencies responsible for the national security of Antigua and Barbuda. The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, the nation's military, is also involved in law enforcement.
Human rights in Antigua and Barbuda comprise a series of rights legally protected by the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda. Additionally, the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda has ratified various international conventions and treaties to protect the human rights of its population. If a person in Antigua and Barbuda believes that their constitutional rights have been violated, they may appeal to the Antigua and Barbuda High Court.
The history of Antigua and Barbuda since 2014 began with the election of Gaston Browne as prime minister. Since then, the Barbudan independence movement has resurged and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party has cemented control over the country. Relations between the two islands have largely deteriorated.