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Gender, Trade Policy and Export Promotion Workshop in the Caribbean

26 January 2006

The workshop will include representatives from regional trade organisations such as the Caribbean Community and the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA).

A workshop on 'Gender, Trade Policy and Export Promotion in the Caribbean' is currently taking place in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The capacity-building workshop organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with Jamaica's Bureau of Women's Affairs is on from 23 to 27 January 2006.

It involves participants from Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and St Lucia. Each country is represented by officials involved in policy-making from various ministries such as trade ministries, ministries of women's affairs, sectoral ministries, as well as export promotion councils.

Representatives from regional trade organisations such as the Caribbean Community and the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA), private sector business organisations, women's networks and civil society are also taking part.

Sarojini Ganju Thakur, Gender Adviser at the Secretariat, said: "This workshop focuses on region-specific issues and trends that affect women. The aim is to build capacity to integrate gender analysis in trade policy formulation and implementation. The impact of trade policy on women's employment and entrepreneurship is also analysed. This will enable public and private institutions to build up their capacity to help women respond to changes in trade policy."

The first such regional workshop was held in East Africa in July 2005 covering Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 269, 25 January 2006