Member States of the Caribbean Community and individual Caribbean women have been central players in the women’s movement at regional and international levels prior to, and more conspicuously so, at the 1995 4th World Conference on Women (WCW) in Beijing, China as well as subsequent meetings leading up to the Beijing +5 Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2000, New York. The Caribbean’s representation at these meetings was, at best, well coordinated and substantial and, at worst, sporadic and inconsistent.

Over this period of time, issues identified as critical to Caribbean women at the time of the 4Th WCW, although still pertinent, had to be reassessed in light of the impacts of rapidly changing global, regional and local contexts which have also spawned new and emerging concerns. An analysis of the evolution of these issues will be presented in the paper, as will constraints and opportunities related to the Caribbean’s participation in these meetings. Suggestions for addressing barriers and maximizing opportunities will be highlighted.

Strategies developed by the Caribbean Community to ensure follow up of strategic objectives and actions to promote gender equality and equity, identified at the international level, will be discussed.