For Immediate Release
5th December 2022
Women across the Caribbean have been diligently and selflessly contributing to the development and growth of the region. Over the past decades, Caribbean women have taken up more positions of leadership in all spheres of life, including in politics. Though there has been some progress in women’s access to leadership positions and to breaking the glass ceiling, the Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) recognizes that significant inequalities still exist which limits women’s full and equal participation. On this premise, and to further strengthen women’s access and equity in the Caribbean, CIWiL hosted its first in-person Regional Board Meeting.
The Regional Board Meeting occurred from Sunday 27th to Tuesday 29th November, 2022 at the Hilton Hotel, Trinidad. It brought together twelve (12) women leaders hailing from Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica.
Over the three-day meeting, the women representatives engaged in a series of discussions, workshops and seminars, consistent with CIWiL’s vision of enabling Caribbean women to realize gender equality and equity for sustainable, transformational leadership. The women representatives reflected on the initiatives that they have been actively supporting in their countries to strengthen women and girls, and identified specific barriers to women’s full participation in their countries. They identified that persistent challenges to women and girls encompassed socio-economic factors such as poverty, crime levels and women’s underemployment; limited funding for NGOs and support groups to support social needs; and various cultural perspectives which often perpetuate stereotypes about the roles and responsibilities of women and girls. Amidst the global 16 Days of Activism, the women also commented on the scourge of gender-based violence which continues to threaten and hinder women’s participation in the Caribbean.
In effort to actively combat these national issues and to strengthen gender equity in the Caribbean, a central theme of the CIWiL’s Regional Board Meeting was National Strategic Planning for implementation across all of CIWiL’s eight (8) National Chapters. This process was guided by CIWiL’s Regional Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which serves as an operational tool to mobilize resources to support the full and equal participation of women and girls- a foundational pillar of CIWiL’s mandate, mission and vision. Within the meeting, the women representatives utilized the opportunity to partner with other representatives from neighboring countries to identify actionable steps to effectively achieving gender equity.
To further equip the women representatives present, CiWiL prioritized the provision of capacity building seminars throughout the three-day meeting. Noteworthy seminars offered encompassed Emotional Intelligence for Women Leaders, Understanding Gender and Accountability and Allyship.
Lady Anade Trotman-Joseph, President of CIWiL commented at the close of the Regional Board Meeting, “What we have experienced over the past three days is momentous. In this one location, we all stand to represent women and girls throughout the Caribbean who have for decades witnessed and undergone challenges to their full participation in all spheres of life. As women who have been dedicated to strengthening and supporting women and girls, let us continue to employ our efforts to advance women’s transformational leadership, and to sustain the significant work that has been undertaken within this meeting. Let this energy and momentum carry us forth into our countries to support all women and girls.”
Following CIWiL’s Regional Board Meeting, all eight (8) National Chapters will be continuing and launching a variety of initiatives within their countries to further the advancement of women and girls, at the national and regional levels, through advocacy, partnership, sisterliness, mentorship, training, and development.
