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In 1994 UNIFEM implemented
the Capacity Building Project as a means of strengthening
the institutional capacity of Caribbean governmental, non-governmental
and multilateral development organisations to undertake gender
analysis and gender-sensitive planning. Among the components
of the Project are several policy studies one of which is
in the area of trade. Hence the project "Gender Implications
of Trade Policies in the Caribbean with Special Reference
to Women and NAFTA". The project applies a gender analysis
in exploring some of the trade-related issues and aims to
change economic gender relations vis-à-vis trade and
to assist in the empowerment of Caribbean women.
Research conducted in Barbados, St. Lucia,
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to analyze the impact of trade
policies from a gender perspective, determine how women have
been coping and recommend measures for alternative approaches
to development. Following the research, national workshops
were held in the four countries to share the research findings
and encourage discussions on the issues.
Using the research findings, a regional
Seminar was held to promote  dialogue
among women, policy-makers, governmental and non-governmental
organizations, development agencies and media personnel about
the impact of trade policies on women. Financial support for
the Seminar was provided by CIDA.
The Regional Seminar was followed immediately
by a complementary seminar organized by DAWN Caribbean. The
activity was organized by the Center of Concern, based in
Washington, in collaboration with DAWN/Car and was entitled
the Women's Strategic Planning Seminar on Gender and Trade
(WSPSGT). UNIFEM is presently engaged in communication with
DAWN/Car on identifying the best ways for collaboration. UNIFEM
views the WSPSGT as a parallel window through which the inter-change
of strategies, ideas, ongoing research findings and activities
can add value to both initiatives.
- Share the research findings as well
as to start the process of disseminating the findings as
a means of raising public consciousness, at both grassroots
and policy-making levels, about the gender implications
of the changing patterns and structures of international
trade for the Caribbean.
- From a gender perspective, examine the
tensions and contradictions of trade liberalization and
fostering a deeper understanding of trade agreements and
negotiations as they pertain to the region (i.e. WTO, NAFTA).
- Help to identify policy changes and actions
which can be linked to those coming out of the Fourth World
Conference on Women and can be fed into the national work
plans for Beijing follow-up activities.
- Help women develop strategies to maximise
the opportunities that trade policies offer and devise policy
recommendations.
- Publication. The outcomes of the Regional
Seminar was documented and used as a guideline for sustained
dissemination of the information gained from the studies
and the seminar discussions.
Newspaper articles explored trade policies from a gender
perspective for dissemination throughout the region.
An information kit demystifying the issues of trade and
macro-economic polices from a gender perspective.
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