US Group and UN Women to fight gender issues in the Caribbean

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

July 17, 2023 – US-based Atlantic Council revealed that its Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center (AALAC), is now in collaboration with the UN Women Multi-Country Office in the Caribbean to fight gender based issues in the region.

Valentina Sader, AALAC associate director and leader of the center’s gender-related work, highlighted the gender issues and their effect on women and girls.

“Women and girls in the Caribbean face unique challenges that prevent them from reaching equal footing in Society. These include lack of access to critical resources to rebuild after natural disasters and barriers to political representation,” she said.

She also spoke of statistics that indicate the number of women who hold appointed and or elected positions, showing they are less than they should be, representing less than half of all political offices throughout the Caribbean, highlighting the need for a more gender equal society.

Additionally, she also referred to studies showing that 46 percent of women in the Caribbean experience violence at least once in their lifetime.

Considering this, the partnership will focus on gender equity and security in the Caribbean particularly in Jamaica and Guyana.

Sader expressed that AALAC will leverage its global and regional connections as well as it  “uniquely-positioned” Caribbean Initiative, (which began programming  in February of 2021), to bring about more awareness and encourage dialogue regarding the issues women and girls face throughout the region.

The Caribbean Initiative is aimed to “to raise awareness about key Caribbean Community (CARICOM) priorities with US and global stakeholders while deepening US engagement with the region around shared interests,” according to the Atlantic Council.

Sader added that the project will explore peace, security, and gender-based violence; democracy and political representation; economic recovery and empowerment; and climate financing.

In continuation, according to the Atlantic Council, AALAC will work with UN Women to have talks and consultations with regional individuals and organisations, multilateral groups, private sector representatives and financial institutions.

The focus will be to better understand  social norms connected to gender in the region, build momentum, and secure buy-in from relevant stakeholders across sectors and regions, as well as produce concrete policy recommendations with a gender-based approach for the region.

The Atlantic Council expressed that AALAC “broadens understanding of regional transformations, while demonstrating why Latin America and the Caribbean matter for the world.”

Additionally, Tonni Brodber, UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean Representative, is hopeful for the success of the project.

“In the same way that the Atlantic Council has been able to strengthen relationships between civil society organisations and policymakers in the United States and across Latin America, I feel confident that the Caribbean will greatly benefit from this proven capacity,” she maintained.