UN Women MCO - Caribbean presented at a landmark forum hosted by Belize’s Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, emphasising strategies to combat discrimination, violence against women, and linking CEDAW to gender equality goals

St. Vincent and Grenadines with the support of the Global Affairs Canada-funded Build Back Equal Project has established the first national inter-agency GBV task force to drive coordination of essential service providers and key stakeholders for GBV data analysis and GBV case management in a systematic and collaborative manner, as well as guide national GBV prevention efforts and foster better coordination of both state and non-state actors

At the recently concluded Gender Equality Forum in Antigua and Barbuda, more than two hundred stakeholders, coming from more than 40 countries across all SIDS regions as well as non-SIDS areas and representing a wide range of constituencies and sectors, committed to the vital advocacy for and implementation of key actions to ensure that gender equality is at the center of the SIDS agenda.

SIDS hold countless opportunities for resilience-building that can propel their progress and achievements towards sustainable development, and despite notable progress towards gender equality, they also have distinctive challenges that hinder women and girls’ empowerment and their rights. That is why UN Women co-hosted a Gender Equality Forum from 25 to 26 May in Antigua and Barbuda, ahead of the fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4).

UN Women MCO-Caribbean and the Government of Grenada launched a partnership which aims to implement a series of Gender-Responsive Social Protection initiatives to accelerate the progress of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5 5): "Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls” in Grenada.

The “Vulnerable Population Response for Bahamas Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Agencies Program” is a three-year initiative which will be implemented in collaboration with a wide range of justice stakeholders locally. The program is designed to prioritize access to justice for marginalized populations, enhance redress and support mechanisms for survivors and victims of violence, and provide long-term rehabilitation support for perpetrators.

This year’s IWD theme was a significant opportunity to highlight the expanse of projects, countries, partners and thematic areas the MCO Caribbean covers across its geographic mandate of 22 countries and territories in the Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean. Here is a brief highlight of the activities surrounding IWD where UN Women MCO Caribbean facilitated, collaborated and participated in.

The region’s progress on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the efficacy of the United Nations partnership in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, came under the microscope this week, as regional Governments joined with the United Nations System to assess their joint response to regional development priorities under the current UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

I Am A Girl IWD 2024 Event: "Invest in Solidarity and Sisterhood to Ensure that No One Is Left Behind"

Trinidad and Tobago's National Strategic Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Violence was launched on March 4th, 2024 at a gathering of representatives of civil society organisations, international development partners, and Government Ministries, at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre

Investing in women to accelerate progress (#IWD2024) through resilient and sustainable initiatives were among the topics discussed when Representative Tonni Brodber, received Ms. Dona Regis Prosper, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, at the UN Women MCO Caribbean office

Promoting healthy masculinity and encouraging men and boy's participation are key to designing interventions and policies to address violence against women and girls in the Jamaican society, was the message at the Men and Boys Forum on Addressing Gender-Based Violence that was hosted by UN Women Multi-Country Office - Caribbean and the Men's Unit in the Bureau of Gender Affairs in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative on December 14, 2023.

Faith leaders and faith communities play a vital role in many people’s lives, providing moral guidance and the foundation for social and cultural norms, thus faith-based organisations have the potential to enable a society that normalizes gender-based violence OR ensures women and girls live their utmost potential, without fear of violence across society

The Caribbean Gender Forum was coordinated under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, through a partnership between UN Women and Atlantic Council. The Forum held recently in Guyana brought together policy makers within Government, civil society, and the private sector.

"Different age groups may have varying perspectives, experiences, and approaches to addressing gender-related issues. This is where intergenerational dialogue plays a pivotal role. It brings together individuals from various age groups, allowing them to exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn from one another"; remarks from a 3-day Regional Intergenerational South-South Exchange in Barbados with 39 civil society organisations from 11 Caribbean countries

How ready is your Civil Society organisation to receive and effectively implement funding? This was the crux of a recent EU-UN Spotlight Initiative capacity building workshop series for CSOs in Trinidad and Tobago. The workshop series recognises that CSOs bring about positive change, have a significant impact on various social issues and are key proponents in supporting communities. The series aims to empower CSOs to improve their capacity to better serve their various and sometimes underserved communities.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a central role in shaping societies, advocating for social justice, and driving positive change. In recognition of this, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative placed strong emphasis on empowering these organizations and enhancing their effectiveness. Through Spotlight, UN Women MCO Caribbean is supporting capacity building workshops across the region

The EU-UN Spotlight Initiative in the Caribbean is partnering with women’s rights groups, women-led civil society organizations (CSOs), and other relevant community-based CSOs to improve their capacity to influence national and local women’s rights and gender equality agendas and better serve the needs of most marginalized communities

The vision of the Spotlight Initiative (SI) is that the rights of women and girls to live free from violence are protected, promoted, and upheld. The impact that the SI will work towards achieving is that all women and girls, particularly those who are most vulnerable, live a life free of violence and harmful practices. UN Women plans to award small grants to eligible Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) based in Jamaica to contribute to the Spotlight Initiative objectives to prevent and end family violence.

UN Women plans to award small grants to eligible Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) based in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique to contribute to the Spotlight Initiative objectives to prevent and end family violence. The vision of the Spotlight Initiative (SI) is that the rights of women and girls to live free from violence are protected, promoted, and upheld. The impact that the SI will work towards achieving is that all women and girls, particularly those who are most vulnerable, live a life free of violence and harmful practices.