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