Geopolitics and the Caribbean Women’s Movement

Also attending were Representative Albita Rivera of the New Progressive Party (PNP); Senator Velda Gonzalez of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD); and Jessica Martinez of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP).

In presenting an overview of the geopolitical situation in the region, feature speaker, Idza Alegria, Social Sciences Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, surveyed the existing colonial arrangements among the British, Dutch, French and U.S dependencies and their impact on women and the women’s movement in the Caribbean. She also highlighted some of the negative effects of global economic changes on women’s working and living conditions, for example, multi-national corporations which capitalise on women’s cheap labour, and structural adjustment programmes which fail to take women’s needs into account. She also underlined the necessity for the women’s movement to continue lobbying for the inclusion of a gender perspective in regional and international trade agreements.

Panellists from Anguilla, Cuba, Haiti, the Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands identified several problems faced by women in the non-independent territories. Among these are: the absence of a voice in the international arena; the inability to access funding from development agencies; and the fact that provisions of social legislation and rights granted thereunder in the mother country, are not necessarily applied in the dependency.

In some cases, they are even denied the protection of the provisions of international human rights instruments, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), when these conventions are not ratified by the mother country.

The meeting recognised the pivotal role played by CAFRA in facilitating the participation of women from the non-independent territories at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held three years ago in Beijing, China. CAFRA was strongly urged to continue its work to achieve the effective integration of all Caribbean women, in fulfilment of its mission to transform society.

The meeting recommended that CAFRA do the following:

• Educate women at all levels about globalisation, economic and political realities

• Seek to influence the discussions on regional and international agreements to ensure the incorporation of a gender perspective

• Intervene and participate in governmental and non-governmental summits and meetings

• Scrutinise international instruments which impact on the Caribbean and demand the fulfilment of those provisions which protect women from being exploited

• Conduct research in the following areas:

• Economic contribution and survival strategies of women;
  • The apparent reversal in women’s access to decision-making positions, both in government and in the private sector, since the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing;

• The status of women in the non-independent territories
  • Seek funding to do all of the above

Participants were united in their recognition of CAFRA as an influential force, which could effect change in the living conditions of women across geo-political barriers.

CAFRA’s membership is deeply grateful to the Senate of Puerto Rico for the honour accorded through a resolution of the Senate, which recognised it as an important social movement in the region.

The Conference was funded by CAFRA and organised by CAFRA members in Puerto Rico, under the leadership of the National Representative, Aidita Cruz.