Jamaica tops Caribbean electoral democracy index as menstrual health pilot nears launch

Kingston, 15 May 2026 — Jamaica remains the Caribbean’s leading country for electoral democracy, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s 2025 Electoral Democracy Index, while the Government prepares a targeted response to period poverty affecting schoolgirls nationwide.

The UNDP report assesses elected representation, credible elections, free expression, freedom of association, voting rights, and citizen participation. Jamaica recorded 0.88 on the index, which uses a zero-to-one scale on which higher values indicate stronger democratic practice. The country has stayed above the regional band of roughly 0.75 to 0.82 since the 1990s. The study also found that more than half of Jamaicans still regard democracy as the best form of government, even as some express concern about how it functions in practice.

Separately, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is set to roll out a multisectoral national menstrual health equity pilot involving eight schools and about 2,000 girls. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the programme will be delivered with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, together with civic and multilateral partners including UNICEF and the Herflow Foundation. Participating schools will be chosen based on enrolment in the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education. Officials expect the pilot to inform a wider policy framework covering menstrual wellness, water and sanitation upgrades, HPV vaccination, personal hygiene education, and HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention. Advocates have long highlighted absenteeism and health risks linked to inadequate sanitary supplies.

In Hanover, Member of Parliament Heather Miller Bennett joined government agencies on Thursday for a Hurricane Melissa recovery fair at Lucy United Church, where residents began replacing lost vital records such as birth and marriage certificates, passports, NIS cards, and land documents.

St Thomas Police Division commander Superintendent Rowan Richie urged motorists, especially young drivers, to reduce speed, citing road deaths as a major parish concern. He said officers are stepping up traffic monitoring and public education.

Project Star enters its fifth year of community work, with director Saffrey Brown reporting sharp crime declines in partner areas, including a recent 46 per cent drop in Mapen West and an 80 per cent fall in Parade Gardens the previous year. The team also deployed relief within days of Hurricane Melissa.

In sport, St Ann-based Lime Hall FC advanced in the Popeye’s Challenge Cup with a 2–0 win over Portland’s Wi-Fi United at Drax Hall on Wednesday; Diego McKenzie scored both goals.

Wolmer’s Trust High School will launch its countdown to 300 years of operation with anniversary celebrations beginning on Wolmer’s Day, Thursday 21 May. The institution dates to 1729, when John Wolmer’s will funded a free school in Kingston; milestone events are planned through 2029.