Programme Update

In this half-year, the focus of CAFRA’s advocacy work has been on trade issues. Several workshops have been held on the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its relation to the World Trade Organisation, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Economic Partnership Agreements within the Cotonou Agreement.

While both the WTO and the FTAA negotiations have collapsed and are in abeyance, negotiations are proceeding with hast on both the Cotonou and CSME.

In September, 2006 CAFRA conducted a regional workshop on the theme “Strengthening Gender Analysis of International and Bi-Lateral Trade”. This workshop was sponsored by Women in Development Europe (WIDE) and organised by CAFRA on behalf of the Caribbean Gender and Trade Network.

Central to this workshop was CAFRA’s research findings on Gender Indicators on Trade, which warn of the dangers to livelihoods that link in the current trade agreements, and what government negotiations can do to arrive at a fair deal for the region’s people.

Attention was also paid to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which is an arrangement which allows CARICOM goods, services, people and capital to move throughout the Caribbean community without any restrictions. This will mean that the Caribbean will become one large single market space where people can buy and sell goods and travel freely.

Additionally, the thinking behind the establishment of the CSME is that the Caribbean states would have more economic and political strength as a trade grouping and therefore would be better able to deal with challenges brought on by trade liberalisation. The CSME will be explored in more depth in a separate article in this issue of CAFRA NEWS.

With regard to health conditions in the region, CAFRA has attracted funding for advocacy on HIV/AIDS. Research has been completed on violence against women with respect to the treatment of sex workers, as a group at risk of HIV/AIDS. The research targeted health workers in an effort to reduce stigma and sensitise them that sex workers should not be denied health care.

The project “Tomorrow’s Women and Men” is to be implemented at national and regional level. The project applies a macro approach to the socio-economic problems of HUIV/AIDS and youth. It will train participants in life skills, HIV/AIDS prevention skills, reproductive health, human rights and women’s rights, and partnership building.

Support for this effort has come from MATCH International for regional work and from the US Embassy and National AIDS Coordinating Committee for work in Trinidad and Tobago.

In the area of Women in Politics and Decision-Making, CAFRA has made significant strides through collaboration with the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC). CAFRA is currently engaged in implementing the following:

(a) Publication of a cartoon strip “Vote More Women into Parliament” in a main Newspaper in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

(b) Publication of a promotion strip “Women are just as Smart, just as Capable, Do Not Hurt Them”, produced by the CAFRA Junior League, St. Lucia, in support of voting more women into parliament.

(c) Commissioning of articles on women in politics from St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The articles will be published in “SHE” magazine

With regard to crime and violence, CAFRA was pleased to co-host a Roundtable in collaboration with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD).

CAFRA has been associated with WINAD from its inception and has co-hosted a national and a regional conference on the illegal use of small arms in 2002.

The goal of the Roundtable was to formalise a coalition of Civil Society actors to envision, plan and implement initiatives to eliminate violent crime and promote peace. WINAD was selected as Convenor for the coalition with CAFRA as Secretary.

As resources become available, CAFRA’s advocacy work will continue to be centred around Violence against Women, HIV/AIDS, Women in Politics and Decision-Making and Trade Liberalisation.