Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Press Release
March 8, 2017

Message from CARICOM Secretariat to commemorate international Women’s Day, 8 March 2017

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community joins with the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day 2017. The theme for this Forty-Second observance is #BeBoldForChange; a clarion call for all citizens of our Region and the world to play their part in forging more gender inclusive, just societies.

Over the past four decades, Member States of our Community have made legally binding commitments through various conventions and agreements to fulfill obligations related to human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women. These include the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) recognizes in profound ways that the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is crucial for targeted world progress towards poverty eradication and indeed represents a call for the world to #BeBoldForChange.

The recent 20 year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2015, highlighted some areas of progress related to gender equality and empowerment of women in the Caribbean region. These include new legislation to address gender based violence; women’s increased participation and achievement at secondary and tertiary levels of education; increased representation of women in governments, particularly in the public service and reduced maternal mortality and the spread of HIV. However, persistent challenges in enforcing the principles of equality and non-discrimination were highlighted in several areas important to the development of our region, including:

  • women’s full participation in paid employment as wage discrimination persists with women earning on average 19 percent less than men;
  • Governance remains tilted in favour of male leadership in the public and private sectors; and
  • gender-based violence continues with great intensity and impacts on the health, social and economic well-being of families, particularly women and children.

Many countries in CARICOM have taken ‘bold steps’ to enact legislation to promote the rights of women in conformance with the CEDAW Convention and based on CARICOM Model Legislation in eight areas, namely citizenship, domestic violence, equality for women in employment, equal pay, sexual harassment and sexual offences, inheritance, maintenance and maintenance orders. Several countries have also introduced national gender policies to guide the work of the national gender machineries and mainstream gender across the work of government.

The World Economic Forum has reported in the Global Gender Gap Index, 2016 that some CARICOM Member States, namely Barbados, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have made progress towards closing the gender gap by between 72 – 74%. The Index is based on four key areas – health, education, the economy and politics. The overall global forecast is that the gender gap won’t be closed completely until 2186, some 169 years from now! This signals that there is much more work to be done.

Being ‘Bold for Change’ signals the need for deliberate steps by all to realise gender equality. As a Community, let us redouble our efforts: men and women, boys and girls, to embrace that bolder and more transformative agenda with strong partnerships among government, the private sector and civil society. The time for your advocacy and activism, is now!

Today, let us salute the women in our Caribbean Community and all over the world as we celebrate International Women’s Day 2017!

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Front Page
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    FAMILY MEMBERS of a woman who was killed at Long Wall say they suspect their relative was hacked by a person they all know very well. On Tuesday, Sept...
    Front Page
    NDP never built a single house in SVG – Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE IDEA THAT HOUSING is a right, that every Vincentian has a right to safe and secure housing, and that the government has a role to play in ensuring...
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Front Page
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A POLICE OFFICER, who allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend 26 times about her body was remanded even as his lawyer argued that the Royal St Vincent and...
    Front Page
    New ULP Administration will roll out AI policy
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A NEW UNITY LABOUR PARTY ADMINISTRATION will be rolling out an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy to embrace its positives and guard against the nega...
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversery
    Front Page
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversery
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 9,2025 was a memorable day for the staff and students of the Sandy Bay Secondary School, which was marking its 20th anniversary wi...
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    News
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    NON- NATIONALS ARE being hired to fill several jobs in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) simply because locals did not have the required skill sets....
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    News
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Montgomery Daniel has sought to clear around rumours that have been circulating relating to his health. Speaking on NBC radio on...
    News
    $1.3 billion in Tourism investment to yield 2,000 jobs – Camillo
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    The GOVERNMENT of St Vincent and the Grenadines is set to sign agreements for tourism investment of $1.3 billion on mainland St.Vincent. On Monday, Se...
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    From the Courts, News
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A BARROUALLIE MAN will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to being in illegal possession of a firearm and eight rounds of ammunition. Demron...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok