Grenada

Grenada is an island nation consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. After centuries of colonial rule under France, and subsequently Britain, Grenada became a fully independent state in February 1974.

Grenada is now a parliamentary democracy currently under a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that wins the majority of seats in elections and the Governor General represents the British monarch.¹“Grenada”, Britannica, accessed September 2025 https://www.britannica.com/place/Grenada/Transportation#ref54638 However, as part of continuing moves to decolonize society and assert the country’s independence, the government and opposition are working together to amend the Constitution. In August 2025, the government dropped the oath of allegiance to the British Crown amid growing calls for the removal of King Charles as the official Head of State.²Natricia Duncan, “Grenada government and opposition join forces to drop oath of allegiance to King Charles”, The Guardian, 8 August 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/08/grenada-oath-of-allegiance-king-charles

Grenada has a population of approximately 117,000.³“Grenada Population”, Worldometer, accessed September 2025 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/grenada-population/ According to the most recent census data (2021),⁴Central Statistical Office, Preliminary 2021 Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique National Housing and Population Census Results, accessed September 2025 https://stats.gov.gd/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2021-National-Housing-Population-Census-Results-Latest-PRELIMINARY.pdf 83% % of Grenada’s population are Christian, of various denominations. Other religions including Hinduism, Rastafarianism and Islam make up for a small percentage of inhabitants. Grenada has a small, but growing non-religious population (6% reported in 2021, compared with 3.7% in 2001).⁵“Data disaggregation in Grenada”, Grenada Central Statistical Office, accessed September 2025 https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/presentations/data-disaggregation-grenada-central-statistical-office.pdf

Grenada is a member of the Commonwealth and a participating member of the Caribbean Community⁶“Member States and Associate Members”, CARICOM, accessed September 2025 https://caricom.org/member-states-and-associate-members/ and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.⁷“Member States”, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, accessed September 2025 https://oecs.int/en/who-we-are/member-states

Constitution and government

The Constitution⁸Grenada Constitution Act, accessed September 2025 https://grenadaparliament.gd/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cap128A-GRENADA-CONSTITUTION-ACT.pdf and other laws and policies protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom of expression, assembly and association. These rights are generally respected in practice.⁹“Grenada” chapter “Freedom in the World 2024”, (Freedom House, 2024) https://freedomhouse.org/country/grenada/freedom-world/2024

The Constitution begins with an acknowledgement of the “supremacy of God” as one of the nation’s founding principles, where the equal and inalienable rights of its citizens are endowed by God.

Article 1 outlines the rights and freedoms conferred on Grenadian citizens, whose exercise is limited only by respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest. Subsection b, grants citizens the right to freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association. The clause also prevents discrimination on the basis of race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex.

Article 9 further outlines the right to freedom of conscience, stating:
“Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience, including freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others, and both in public and in private, to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”

Christian worship services form part of official festivities on national holidays.

In order to obtain official government recognition and benefit from customs and tax exemptions, religious groups must register as a non-governmental organization (NGO).¹⁰“Grenada” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, (US Department of State, 2024) https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/grenada/

Education and children’s rights

Grenada’s education model is based on the British schooling model, and is compulsory and free between the ages of six and fourteen.

Under Article 9 of the Constitution,

“2. Except with his own consent (or, if he is a person under the age of eighteen years, the consent of his guardian) no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if that instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own.

“3. Every religious community shall be entitled, at its own expense, to establish and maintain places of education and to manage any place of education which it wholly maintains; and no such community shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for persons of that community in the course of any education provided at any places of education which it wholly maintains or in the course of any education which it otherwise provides.”

The government subsidizes secular schools and all public denominational schools administered and staffed by religious organizations. There are no non-Christian denominational schools currently in operation. The schools are open to students of all faiths and students are not obliged to attend religion classes.¹¹“Grenada” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, (US Department of State, 2024) https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/grenada/ According to the Education Act, all schools in Grenada must start the day with collective worship, however parents may request that their child be excused.¹²Education Act, Act No. 21 of 2002, accessed September 2025 https://grenadaparliament.gd/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cap86-EDUCATION-ACT.pdf

Family, community and society

Women’s rights

Women generally have the same legal status and rights as men, however, violence against women and children is a widespread issue. Despite domestic violence laws coming into effect in 2011, enforcement has been limited, and a significant proportion of violence against women remains unreported.¹³“Grenada” chapter “Freedom in the World 2024”, (Freedom House, 2024) https://freedomhouse.org/country/grenada/freedom-world/2024

A recent 2018 UN Women report found that ‘there remains significant social adherence to gendered systems, assumptions and arrangements that support and rationalize intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence.’ Through interviews with female survivors and men, explanations of violence against women in heterosexual unions were fostered by gendered expectations of care, work, family and women’s fidelity.¹⁴Dr Halimah Deshong, Women’s Health and Life Experiences: A Qualitative Research Report on Violence Against Women in Grenada, (UN Women, 2018) accessed September 2025 https://oig.cepal.org/sites/default/files/grenada_womens_health_and_life_experiences.pdf In his book, Apostate! No More Bazoodee: A Grenadian Quest to Think outside the Box, Seon Lewis, one of Grenada’s few publicly open atheists, argues that religion contributes to the problem of violence against women in the country due to the belief that men are supposed to be in charge of women and that male authority should not be challenged.¹⁵Norm R. Allen Jr., “Apostate! No More Bazoodee: A Grenadian Quest to Think Outside the Box, Book by Seon M. Lewis”, TheHumanist.com, 22 December 2022 https://thehumanist.com/magazine/january-february-2016/arts_entertainment/apostate-no-bazoodee-grenadian-quest-think-outside-box/

Human Rights organizations have recommended that Grenada address gender equality by revising the Married Women’s Property Act 1896 to ensure equal inheritance and property rights for married women.¹⁶ Summary of stakeholders’ submissions on Grenada, A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/3, 23 January 2025, Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Forty–ninth session, 28 April–9 May 2025 https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/3

Abortion

The law prohibits abortions unless the mother’s life is in danger. As a result of this legal restriction, illegal and unsafe abortions take place throughout the country. Those procuring or assisting in the commission of an abortion can face a 10-year prison sentence. In a survey conducted by St George’s University in 2017, physicians were asked if they would feel comfortable working in a healthcare facility where abortions were performed. 50% of those who said that they would feel uncomfortable declared that it would violate their religious beliefs.¹⁷Chatura Nagaradona and Martin S Forde, Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, “Physician Perceptions on the Prevalence of Illegal Abortions in Grenada”, International Journal of Women’s Health and Wellness, Vol 3, Issue 1 (2017) https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijwhw/international-journal-of-womens-health-and-wellness-ijwhw-3-049.pdf

LGBTI+ rights

Same-sex sexual activity between men is illegal in Grenada, described as an ‘unnatural crime’ and punishable under Criminal Code Section 431 by up to ten years in prison.¹⁸ “Grenada” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, (US Department of State, 2024) https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/grenada/

Although the law is rarely enforced, Grenada’s LGBTI+ population face significant societal discrimination. In 2016, a constitutional referendum sought to protect the equal treatment of all people in Grenada, but this amendment was overwhelmingly rejected over fears that this could lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage.¹⁹“Grenada referendum postponed amid concerns over same-sex marriages”, Jamaica Observer, 17 October 2016 https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2016/10/17/grenada-referendum-postponed-amid-concerns-over-same-sex-marriages/

There are no laws in place to prevent discrimination in housing, education, employment, health care or access to essential goods and services against a person based on their sexuality or gender identity.²⁰Compilation of information prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,2025 A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/2, 31 January 2025, Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Forty-ninth session, 28 April–9 May https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/2 The society is generally hostile towards the LGBTI+ community and with reports of threats, abuse and harassment including mistreatment by police officers in cases where victims have sought to report such crimes.²¹Summary of stakeholders’ submissions on Grenada, A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/3, 23 January 2025, Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Forty–ninth session, 28 April–9 May 2025 https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/WG.6/49/GRD/3 In 2023, civil society organizations intensified calls for stronger legal protections of LGBTI+ people in the country following the murder of a young gay artist suspected to have been motivated by homophobia.²²“Justice for Jonty Robinson”, Now Grenada, 9 August 2023 https://nowgrenada.com/2023/08/justice-for-jonty-robinson/;
Matt Lavietes, “Tyler Perry offers $100,000 reward for information about gay man’s killing”, NBC News, 28 July 2023 https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/tyler-perry-offers-100000-reward-information-gay-mans-killing-rcna96751

Stigma against LGBTI+ people in Grenada is reported to be partly fuelled by religious groups, some of whom publicly express their opposition to LGBTI+ rights.²³Submission by GrenCHAP, Gorundation Grenada and the Sexual Rights Initiative to the Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, February 2015 https://uprdoc.ohchr.org/uprweb/downloadfile.aspx?filename=1442&file=EnglishTranslation ;
Richie Maitland, “As One People – Protecting Sexual and Other Minorities in Grenada’s Constitution”, ConstituionNet, 6 February 2016 https://constitutionnet.org/news/one-people-protecting-sexual-and-other-minorities-grenadas-constitution

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

Freedoms of Expression, Assembly and Association are generally well respected in Grenada. In July 2012, Grenada became the first Caribbean country to decriminalize defamation. However, seditious libel remains a criminal offence and due to politicians initiating lawsuits against the media, many journalists who cannot afford legal costs choose to self-censor.²⁴“Grenada” chapter “Freedom in the World 2024”, (Freedom House, 2024) https://freedomhouse.org/country/grenada/freedom-world/2024 Reporters Without Borders has also criticized censorship at the country’s largest broadcaster, the Grenada Broadcasting Network, partly owned by the government.²⁵“OECS – General Manager of Grenada Broadcasting Network censors coverage of staff protest”, Reporters Without Borders, 27 September 2018 https://rsf.org/en/oecs-general-manager-grenada-broadcasting-network-censors-coverage-staff-protest

Blasphemy laws

According to Section 429 of the Criminal Code,²⁶Grenada Criminal Code, accessed September 2025 https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text/253233 which addresses the publication or sale of blasphemous or obscene matter:

“Whoever publishes, sells, or offers for sale any blasphemous or obscene book, writing, or representation, shall be liable to imprisonment for 2 years.”

Despite the existence of this legal provision, there have been no convictions for blasphemy in recent times.²⁷“Grenada” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, (US Department of State, 2024) https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/grenada/