"How can we make sure women and marginalised groups are part of the ecosystem creating employment and also accessing the opportunities for economic growth?" This was one of several topics of discussion during the “Road to the Summit: A Green and Equitable Future for the Americas” panel discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, in partnership with the US Department of State leading to the Ninth Summit of the Americas.

The Joint Programme on Universal Adaptive Social Protection in the Eastern Caribbean is providing support to Governments to strengthen their capacities to among other things, narrow gender gaps in poverty rates, enhance women’s income security, and boost female-headed households resilience to climate-related shocks. A response measure which has come up for review is Universal Basic Income (UBI), which may have both pros and cons if implemented as a gender-responsive social protection initiative.

Every country in the world has been touched by COVID-19. This unprecedented health-related crisis “has exposed the fragility of our societies to global shocks such as diseases or the climate crisis,” according to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres. Countries of the Eastern Caribbean, like many other Small Island Developing States, are especially vulnerable to the social and economic impacts of the crisis that is affecting all segments of the population.

Under a joint UN programme, UN Women, UNICEF and the OECS Commission are supporting national budget directors and finance officers from the Eastern Caribbean in conducting the gender analysis to design and cost measures, the outcome of which are budgets that are child and gender responsive.

The call is being made for a more comprehensive approach to social safety nets in the region to ensure that they meets the needs of those in most need and position these beneficiaries to move towards self-reliance and out of poverty.