Programme Update

The Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) is in its 21st year of operation, one of the longest surviving women’s organisations in the region.

CAFRA has sought to record and strengthen women’s struggle for their rights and their vision for the Caribbean. CAFRA has worked relentlessly in the thrust to understand the relationship between the oppression of women, and other forms of oppression in the society and to make visible the contribution of women to social and economic development. It is necessary to transmit to the younger generation the fervor of activism and to inspire them to carry on the work, which still has to be done.

In addition, the growing “male backlash” warrants an exploration of what loss of privilege means to males, and ways in which the feminist movement can work with men for equality.

In 2006, CAFRA will focus on a professional history of the organisation’s first twenty years, as well as on an evaluation of its work. The project seeks to record CAFRA’s work done over the past twenty years. In the process, the work of the organisation would be evaluated, based on which the current strategic plan will be revised.

CRITICAL HISTORY OF CAFRA

The goal of the project is to research and publish a critical history of CAFRA’s twenty years of operation for use by the women’s movement and wider public. The publication would be suitable as a reader in feminist studies at academic level.

The objectives of the project are:

(a) To tell the story of CAFRA as a social movement in the Caribbean

(b) To contribute to the documentation of the history of “feminism” and the women’s movement in the Caribbean

(c) To identify the lessons to be learnt from the first twenty years

(d) To develop audio-visual material for use in formal and popular education and for wider dissemination including to a younger population using National and Regional media

The project involves the writing of a Critical History of CAFRA through research on the organisation’s activities over the past twenty years.

The goal of the project is to evaluate the functioning of CAFRA over the last twenty years.

The objectives of the project are to:

1. Plan strategically for the organisation’s future work
2. Identify the lessons to be learnt from the last twenty years
3. Identify operational or structural factors or organisational approaches constraining or facilitating the achievement of the mission, aims and objectives.
4. Examine the management structures and functioning of national CAFRA programmes and activities
5. Identify how CAFRA has impacted on its membership
6. Examine to what extent there is a common understanding among the members and leadership of the mission, objectives and organisational principles of CAFRA.
7. Examine the reasons for the failure of CAFRA to attract or generate needed financial resources, and to make recommendations to assist the organization to move as quickly and as solidly as possible towards an improvement of the financial health of the organisation, taking into account the constraints and opportunities of the current global environment and the organisational approaches and competencies necessary.
8. Make recommendations, including a process for moving forward.

METHODOLOGY

The over-arching evaluation process would be one of “appreciative inquiry: which will focus on the highlights or successes and draw out lessons.

WOMEN’S CREATIVE EXPRESSION

The formal launching of CAFRA in 1985 prompted an outburst of poetry as the founding members celebrated its birth. This creative energy flourished, producing the landmark book of Caribbean Women’s Poetry – Creation Fire.

Over the years CAFRA has maintained creative expression within its programme, sponsoring training seminars and supporting attendance at writers workshops.

In 2006, a second anthology of Caribbean Women’s Poetry will be compiled under the guidance of distinguished Caribbean Writer – Sybil Seaforth.

CAFRA will also sponsor the participation of Caribbean women in the Annual International Women’s Writing Guild’s Summer Conference, 2006.

Efforts are being made to raise funds for the hosting of another Creative Expression Seminar to support Caribbean women writers.

PRODUCTION OF A WOMEN’S BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY

As part of the Centre for Gender Studies (St. Augustine Campus) project on the Making of Caribbean Feminism, CAFRA will conduct research on women in the countries of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and the US Virgin Islands.

The objectives of the research include:

(a) Map the histories and constitution of feminisms in the English, French, Dutch and Spanish speaking Caribbean.

(b) Bring together existing documents and materials of prominent and self-defined feminists, as well as the grassroots activities of women and men that have challenged and redefined ideologies and structures of patriarchy and sexism in the Caribbean.

(c) Interrogate and contribute to existing historical data on political activism as it relates specifically to Caribbean gender ideologies and practices.

This project is very important to the Women’s Movement as it will document the feminist struggle and provide lessons for the present and future.