Caribbean Gender and Trade Network

Background

In December 1999, the Centre of Concern and DAWN Caribbean co-sponsored a Strategic Planning Seminar on Gender and Trade in Grenada. Some 48 women from different regions of the world gathered to assess the effects of the new liberal trade regimes on women, families and communities and to determine how to engage more women in trade discussions and negotiations.

The seminar participants identified three needs: organisation, research and trade literacy. To address these needs they established the International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN) and named a Steering Committee to move the agenda forward.

The Steering Committee includes a Co-ordinator for each of the seven regions making up the IGTN: Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific. Each region has research and trade literacy focal point and identifies its own advocacy agenda according to regional trade developments.

Co-ordinated by CAFRA, the Caribbean Gender and Trade Network includes 22 CAFRA focal points in 15 countries and the Caribbean Reference Group (CRG) on Trade (CIECA, CPDC, WINFA, PAPDA (Haiti), UWI), with outreach to 25 NGOs and governments in 15 CARICOM countries.

The CAFRA Secretariat moderates a regional list serve for the Network, .

Activities

Research:
 DAWN Caribbean has developed its proposal for a regional research project to include agriculture and services in the Caribbean.

 Research findings on how women have benefited from the Regional and National Indicative Programmes under the Lomé Agreement were presented to governments in the Windward Islands and to communities studied.

Advocacy:

 Links were established with the Hemispheric Social Alliance for work on the FTAA. A meeting was held to set an agenda for work to be done in conjunction with the Gender and Trade regional networks for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

 The Caribbean Reference Group on Trade (CRG) Work held meetings in February, June, September and October 2000, and January 2001 to develop research proposals on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), and advocacy strategies for the region.

 Members of the Network contributed to discussions on globalisation, trade liberalisation and the impact of macroeconomic policies on women at several international fora including the Feminist Expo in Baltimore (April 2000), the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) meetings, and the Beijing+5 Preparatory Committee meetings and Special Session.

Literacy:

 DAWN’s proposal for a project on Sustainable Livelihoods includes a component on economic literacy, and is being refined to attract the necessary funding.

 A two-day regional Economic Literacy Workshop was held in October 2000 for focal points in the fifteen participating countries.

 An Economic Literacy Manual has been developed incorporating modules on the political economy of Caribbean countries; nuts and bolts of the economy; economic policy issues; and trade liberalisation and globalisation. The manual also includes appendices on popular education/popular economics techniques; primers, overviews and information sheets; and popular economic resources.

Results

As a result of these activities, the Caribbean Gender and Trade Network has produced:

 A body of literature on economic policies and structures
 A manual suitable for delivery of training in economic literacy
 A cadre of forty trainers/focal points who will deliver training at the national level
 Research findings on the impact of the WTO, FTAA and Lomé
 Project proposals for sustainable development activities, advocacy, research and literacy.

For more information on the IGTN, visit the web site http://www.genderandtrade.net

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR NGOs

From a needs-assessment exercise begun in 1999 by OXFAM and DFID, regional NGOs re-examined their vision and resources. They realised that a number of essential elements that are critical for survival and growth were not in place. These elements are, increased competencies in social marketing, advocacy and internal governance.

CAFRA recognized that the effectiveness of this regional exercise of introspection depended largely on the compliance that must take place at branch and member level. The Association consequently developed a summary guide for implementing the strategies of social marketing, advocacy and good governance.

Produced by Madonna Sampson Doyle, “Capacity Building for NGOs” has been distributed to Regional Committee members in the Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean.