“The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication.”

The Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD), salutes all women of the world on this the 101st Anniversary of International Women’s Day. CNIRD particularly embraces the opportunity to salute rural women, especially as the current Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is focusing on “The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges”.

Women in the Caribbean have made incremental gains towards the achievement of gender equity since the first UN Decade for Women, particularly in the areas of legislation and policy, labour market participation, and increased access to public resources such as tertiary education and health care. At the same time, however, there are continuing challenges to the full attainment of the goal of gender equality.

Significant numbers of Caribbean people live below the poverty line, with insecure and lowpaying employment in agriculture, services and the informal economy. Women who carry the responsibility for care of children , families and the elderly across the region, are particularly vulnerable to the fall out of negative consequences of trade arrangements such as he Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), including the reduction in state revenue through the phased removal of import taxes and introduction of or deepening of the application of Value Added Tax (VAT). Any advantages to be gained in such
sectors by women, can only be realized with significant investment in skills training, in enterprise development, as well as in active support from the State to these women-headed households.

CHALLENGES TO RURAL WOMEN

Rural women are faced with issues of persistent poverty, unemployment, crime, poor health services, domestic violence, prostitution and HIV and AIDS

In addition, the following are of great concern to the region and their impact is felt more by women:

1. Climate Change
2. Natural and environmental disasters continue to plague the region
3. Threats to Agriculture and Food Security/Sovereignty
4. Inadequate transfer of skills and technology

Caribbean countries as small island developing states are particularly vulnerable to global climate change, climate variability and sea-level rise. Any rise in sea level will impact negatively on vegetation and fresh water resources. The region’s capacity to feed itself continues to decline, while its food import bill steadily increases.

There is an urgent need for attention to be paid to human resource development, as evidenced by poor health and social services, poor nutrition and housing, low levels of female participation in development, drug abuse, increased unemployment and increased levels of crime.

The Caribbean region is home to significant numbers of indigenous peoples, who live in the far rural areas and are doubly deprived and under-developed. Within this, indigenous women suffer greater hardships.

The Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD) joins with advocates every where in calling on governments to empower women farmers in rural areas by addressing environmental degradation, and to eliminate transportation constraints on women in rural areas.

CNIRD is committed to developing and implementing programmes of support to rural women, including indigenous women, and encourages other civil society organizations to work in partnerships to address these needs.