"GBV in the Caribbean is influenced by a combination of cultural norms and socio-economic disparities. Until we address these norms, no matter how many laws we pass, no matter how many millions of dollars we give for reforming the courts and making them a nice place to come to, until we make people feel empowered and until we are assured that within intimate relationships and all other relationships, that these are relationships of equal human beings, we will continue to see the same problems recur."

rinidad and Tobago has made history as the first Caribbean nation to officially launch a National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), with a focus on tackling gun and gang-related violence. This milestone underscores the country’s commitment to fostering safer communities and enhancing national security through inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding efforts

Hosted by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with UN Women, and OSF, a high-level workshop brought together key government officials, civil society representatives, and international partners to finalise the operational framework for implementing the WPS NAP, ensuring it moves from policy to action

A call to establish a CARICOM Envoy to lead the Caribbean’s journey to achieve just, peaceful and resilient societies and the commitment of solidarity and support by the African Union, UN Women, and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, were some of the major outcomes at the event

UN Women, in collaboration with CARICOM and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom (FCDO UK), convened a high-level regional consultation on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). The virtual event brought together government officials from CARICOM Member States, civil society leaders, development partners, and members of the diplomatic corps to explore how gender perspectives can be further integrated into national and regional peace and security efforts.

This three-day event, held from December 4-6, 2024, brought together parliamentarians, civil society representatives, and experts from 11 Caribbean countries. Organized by ParlAmericas, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) - Caribbean, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the workshop aimed to enhance parliamentarians' capacity to adopt an inclusive and gender-responsive approach to their legislative responsibilities

Saint Lucia's first-ever National Inter-Agency Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response (GBV) Task Force was officially launched on December 13, 2024, following a Cabinet Conclusion on November 11 which emphasized the urgency of addressing Gender-based violence (GBV) as a matter of national concern

In Barbados, women spend nearly 2.5 times more time on childcare than men, and close to three times more performing domestic work, childcare and adult care, combined. Globally, figures show, women perform 75% of unpaid care work globally or 4 hours and 25 minutes daily. That is three times men’s average of 1 hour and 23 minutes per day.

With a substantial investment of nearly USD one million, the Joint SDG Fund was a pioneering initiative and the first of its kind in The Bahamas and Bermuda. It aimed to address the unique challenges faced by medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) in the creative and cultural, agribusiness, and tourism industries sectors and foster sustainable economic growth.

Following the successful Gender Equality Forum in May 2024, UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) - Caribbean has continued its advocacy with a series of virtual tours, designed to sustain the conversation on gender equality and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) issues.

Across the world and the SIDS, women depend more on, yet have less access to resources. Women are employed in sectors with high vulnerability to disasters and climate change, concentrated in tourism-related services and sales sectors, making them more exposed to economic shocks during and after the crisis than men, whose employment is more diversified. Unleashing the power of women as first responders to crisis, disaster risk reduction, and building economic and environmental resilience is crucial to achieving sustainable development.

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.

Government representatives, leaders from women's and civil society organizations, and regional intergovernmental frameworks met to assess the challenges for peaceful and safe societies in the Caribbean

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.

A two-day workshop was part of a series of training hosted under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Caribbean Regional Programme and implemented by the UN Women Multi-Country (MCO) Office – Caribbean and the National Women's Commission to equip CSOs with the skills to secure funding opportunities for sustained programmes, manage projects effectively, improve financial planning and ensure accurate reporting for accountability

Trinidad and Tobago is committed to implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda as a way to address national security issues. Too often the rights of women and girls, as well as their insights and experiences, have been neglected and overlooked when responding to conflicts including crime, violence and other security challenges. The establishment of a National Action Plan will allow for women to be valued for their role as equal partners in the reduction of all forms of violence.

The private sectors companies at the launch, including seventeen (17) WEPs signatories announced their commitments to the Principles which they are implementing through workplace policies for Domestic Violence victims/survivors as well as Paternity Leave. They advocated for more members of the private sector in Guyana to endorse and action the WEPs. This took place as attendees openly expressed concern for the recent fire in Mahdia where 19 children, mostly Indigenous girls aged 12 to 18, died.

Gender responsive budgeting (GRB) is a strategy to achieve gender equality, where budgets or proposed spending is analysed and designed to ensure interventions to eliminate inequalities between women and men and boys and girls, are adequately financed.

Women need to be engaged more in growth industries for increased sustainability, thereby reducing their economic dependence and vulnerability to gender-based violence.

UN Women MCO Caribbean is planning a Caribbean CSO Movement-Building Retreat to provide space for CSOs to strategise and respond to challenges facing women's organisations, in particular those addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and its intersections. Scheduled to be held in the third week of July, the event falls under the global Spotlight Initiative, launched in 2017 by the United Nations with financing from the European Union. This initiative aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by the year 2030.