The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat joins our Member States and the rest of the world in observing International Women’s Day 2024 under the theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”.

This year, we celebrate the progress we have made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Region. Our Member States are introducing gender-responsive budgeting; legislation and policies are being reformed; and guidelines, tools, and protocols are being made available to support implementation of gender mainstreaming and monitoring of results across different sectors.

Even as the Region moves towards “equality for all”, there are many challenges to be overcome. Data indicate that fewer women than men in the Region are earning incomes, unpaid care work is still predominantly done by women and girls, and gender-based violence continues with great intensity.  This reflects the continued presence of cultural beliefs, norms and practices that underpin social exclusion and inequalities.

As we go forward, investing in strengthening regional and national gender machineries is critical to investing in women, and to accelerating progress. We must also strengthen the implementation of social and economic policies to ensure that gender equality programmes encompass everyone.

I urge all women and men to work together to achieve gender equality.