From a line of crimson-painted shoes quietly arranged at the Barbados Museum to the haunting story of “Millie Gone to Brazil”, the Red Shoes Project has transformed familiar symbols into a powerful reminder that behind every pair lies a life lost to gender-based violence — and a nation urged to finally face the crisis.
Both Ambassador Fiona Ramsay, the European Union envoy to Barbados, and Minister of People Empowerment Kirk Humphrey sent a message that the dozens of painted red shoes, each symbolising a woman whose life was stolen through gender-based violence, should compel the country to confront a reality too often minimised, dismissed or hidden behind closed doors.
That call for collective recognition framed the tone of the evening at the Barbados Museum, where officials, advocates and community members gathered for the unveiling of the project as part of the annual 16 Days of Activism — an initiative that transforms public spaces into visual memorials to bring together a broad coalition of partners. Its aim is to confront the harsh reality and lasting impact of gender-based violence as a national wake-up call.
This year’s edition builds on last year’s foundation of collective action that reflects the strength of a society willing to acknowledge the silence often surrounding gender-based violence while pushing towards change. The continuation of the project also mirrors the growing urgency of its message.
Ambassador Ramsay reminded the audience that violence now extends beyond physical spaces and into digital ones, where “online harassment, cyber-persecution and gender disinformation, manipulation of images and identities are no longer abstract processes”.
She also noted the increasing risks for young girls in these environments, stressing that while “the digital space has been liberating, it has also become a most terrifying development for many”.
Humphrey, in his remarks, reflected on the cultural norms that feed gender-based violence. He said: “We have become really good at instilling in our children the need for them to be better than the previous generation but far less effective at teaching them to breathe life into something else.”
He further urged Barbadians to rethink inherited beliefs, particularly harmful ideas of masculinity, stating that “we have to consciously deconstruct a lot of things that were given to us as truth”.
The play Millie Gone to Brazil was also performed by theatre students from the Barbados Community College, directed by Michelle Hinkson-Cox. The aim was to reshape how the story was told and to be intentional in educating people about issues such as gender-based violence.
For many Barbadians, the play is light folklore, yet it originates from the tragic killing of a Barbadian woman at the hands of gender-based violence. That disconnect is exactly what Humphrey warned against. He stressed that Barbadians must “deconstruct what we were given as education and rethink the narratives we normalise.” That, too, is the gap the Red Shoes Project seeks to confront directly — by forcing the nation to pause, see the truth behind these tragedies and reshape the way we understand them to ignite change.
The Red Shoes Project also reaches beyond the official opening and symbolic red shoe placements islandwide to engage young people through schools and community groups.
Ambassador Ramsay said: “We are deepening our outreach to young people. So, through the Ministry of Education, students will have the opportunity to visit installation sites and walk among the shoes, view the Millie Gone to Brazil performance and then be able to reflect on how they can build the type of society they want.”
Above all, the advocacy project stands as a collective call for action — a call to reignite the minds of people into spaces of dignity and respect while staying active in ensuring that gender-based violence becomes a far rarer occurrence. (DT)
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