Empowering Young Caribbean Women Leaders to Accelerate the Region’s Commitments for Women and Girls: UN Women, ParlAmericas and CIWiL host a discussion on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

22 April 2025, Caribbean: More than 65 young women leaders from across the Caribbean joined UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) - Caribbean, ParlAmericas and Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) for an insightful and empowering Beijing+30 awareness session.

It brought together participants from the Young Women in Leadership Programme (YWiL) across five Caribbean nations— Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, and the YES! Leadership Programme in Trinidad and Tobago.

The event underscored the significance of addressing systemic barriers that impede women's full involvement in leadership roles, while advocating for the transformative potential of gender-responsive policies. It emphasised the need to reflect women's lived experiences in the design of initiatives in order for gender equality to be achieved. 

2025 marks the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA). The webinar served as a timely opportunity for the young women to discuss empowerment and leadership in relation to the global gender equality frameworks, including also CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).

In her presentation on the BPfA, Monique Long - Planning and Coordination Specialist at UN Women MCO - Caribbean, said young women needed to be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and networks to be impactful leaders in political and public spheres. While progress has been made, she noted that the pace remains too slow and systemic barriers continue to hinder women's full participation in decision-making spaces:

“Women in leadership continue to face stereotypes and backlash—aggressive gendered
criticisms, societal resistance to their authority, and difficulties navigating public perception."

Moderated by Her Excellency Natalie Campbell-Rodriques, High Commissioner of Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago, the panel discussion provided YWiL representatives with the platform to contextualise the BPfA’s 12 critical areas of concern within the Caribbean context.

Indira Toussaint, a member of YWiL Saint Lucia, spoke on how gender-based violence can be a barrier to women and girls accessing education and training:

“Gender-based violence remains a deeply entrenched issue across the Caribbean disrupting
girls’ education and future opportunities. Gender-based violence is not just physical, it
encompasses economic and psychological barriers that keep women dependent, vulnerable
and limited in our mobility. Education cannot be truly accessible until we create safe,
supportive environments for young women to learn without fear.”

Integrating the lived experiences, leadership and specific needs of women and girls as key actors in climate solutions was highlighted by Chrystal Williams, a member of YWiL Grenada:

"We have to move or shift our perspective from thinking that women are just the victims of
climate change impacts. They are leaders, knowledge holders and change makers. Who best
to tell you what our needs are in crisis than ourselves, who best to tell policymakers and
government officials that when they are designing shelters, what we would need in these
shelters. Women, particularly in rural and indigenous communities, have traditional
knowledge of sustainable resource management, example, water, conservation, and disaster
preparedness.”

Her Excellency Natalie Campbell-Rodriques urged participants to let their voices be heard and included: “Even if there is no space for us to talk about these issues, create that space. Get the message out there.”

In thematic working groups, participants further explored how to enhance dialogue and advocacy on the BPfA’s critical areas of concern including women and health, violence against women, women in power and decision-making and women and the environment. These discussions fostered collaboration between participants to identify challenges and solutions.

In her closing remarks, Monique Long reaffirmed the commitment of UN Women, ParlAmericas, and CIWiL to supporting young women’s leadership, ensuring that the momentum generated at the webinar is translated into action.