The case for chief gender officers in Caribbean states
In the Caribbean, small but significant progress has been made toward greater female representation in politics. But women and girls in the region still face significant gender inequities, ranging from unequal pay to gender-based violence. As the Caribbean prepares for elections in the next year in Belize, Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, gender mainstreaming—bringing a gender perspective into every aspect of the decision making and policy implementation processes—should be at the forefront of policymaking and proposals from both men and women leaders. Gender mainstreaming will take time and an array of measures. As an initial step, however, Caribbean countries should consider establishing the role of chief gender officer within their institutions. This leadership role can, for example, play a decisive role in coordinating approaches to gender-based violence.
Female political representation is important. According to 2023 data, only fifty-nine of the 193 member states of the United Nations had a woman head of state or government in their history. Against this backdrop, four countries in the Caribbean have had or currently have women leaders: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Barbados. But representation still lags behind, with an average of 22 percent of ministerial portfolios and cabinet positions in the English-speaking Caribbean held by women. And according to World Bank data, only four Caribbean countries—Dominica, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada—have 30 percent or more seats in national parliaments held by women.
At the same time, greater and more effective female political representation must go hand in hand with bringing gender equity perspectives into all aspects policymaking in ways that improve the lives of citizens. In the Caribbean, women and girls face significant vulnerabilities, and gender mainstreaming is needed to address them, in particular gender-based violence.
Chief gender officers can help ensure appropriate support, accountability, and sustainability of policies for victims of gender-based violence.
The Caribbean has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world. According to UN Women data, 46 percent of women in the Caribbean have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. Jamaica, for example, has the second-highest femicide rate in the world, while 55 percent of Guyanese women have experienced at least one form of violence, including intimate partner violence or nonpartner sexual abuse. And data on gender-based violence is often underreported.
To tackle gender-based violence through gender mainstreaming in policymaking, governments in the Caribbean should work closely with civil society organizations that focus on gender and gender-based violence. They should also work with victims of gender-based violence to understand the bottlenecks of the system and its inadequate responses. With this deeper understanding, governments can map out specific areas to improve support for women victims of gender-based violence.
Governments should also include chief gender officers in key government institutions, particularly within the judicial system and the police. Chief gender officers can help ensure appropriate support, accountability, and sustainability of policies for victims of gender-based violence. These officers should be appropriately trained to bring a gender-sensitive perspective to decision-making processes, and their authority and dedicated office to these issues can help to overcome institutional inertia.
In the legal sphere, these officers should revise and help update legislation through a gender lens, as a mechanism to avoid the perpetuation of laws and norms that might have pervasive negative consequences for women and girls. Within the police, chief gender officers can be trained to welcome and support victims of gender-based violence, helping them as victims instead of discriminating against them. Focus groups commissioned by the Atlantic Council in Jamaica and Guyana, for example, found a lack of trust that institutions, such as the police, can support women victims of gender-based violence. One Jamaican woman explained, “But sometimes you go to the police and the police take your statement and look at you and be like if you wear that then you don’t think the man is going to see you.”
Ensuring that women victims of gender-based violence feel heard and supported could lead to more accurate data on this issue, as underreporting is a significant challenge. This, in turn, could help governments gain a better understanding of gender-based violence and the policies and programs that can help solve it.
Valentina Sader is a deputy director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, where she leads the Center’s work on Brazil, gender equality and diversity, and manages the Center’s Advisory Council.
Further reading
Thu, Mar 7, 2024
Not without her: A roadmap for gender equality and Caribbean prosperity
Report By Wazim Mowla, Valentina Sader
Caribbean development is intrinsically linked with women's equality. After a multi-month consultation process with Caribbean stakeholders, we offer a roadmap on how to achieve inclusive development in the region.
Mon, Apr 29, 2024
Climate change doesn’t have to result in greater gender inequity in the Caribbean
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Caribbean climate policy design and resource allocation must incorporate the voices and interests of the region’s women and girls.
Fri, Mar 29, 2024
Gender equality can drive economic development in the Caribbean
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What would development in the Caribbean look like if every bit of the population’s potential was realized?
Image: Women march towards the presidential palace to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in Santo Domingo November 25, 2014. According to UN Women, Dominican Republic is among the countries with the highest rate of femicide in the world. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas