E C L A C /C A R IC O M /U N IFE M Caribbean Subregional M eeting
preparatory to the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
28-29 June 1994

G EN ER A L
L C /C A R /G .429
15 August 1994
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

REPORT OF THE
ECLAC/CARICOM /UNIFEM CARIBBEAN SUBREGIONAL MEETING
PREPARATORY TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, 1995

900021388
9 0 0 0 2 1 3 8 8 - B IB L IO TE C A C EP A L

UNITED NATIONS

ÿ

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

S

Subregional

Headquarters for the Caribbean

CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE

REPORT OF THE
ECLAC/CARICOM/UNIFEM CARIBBEAN SUBREGIONAL MEETING
PREPARATORY TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, 1995

The E C LA C /C A R IC O M /U N IFE M Caribbean Subregional M eeting Preparatory to
the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995, was held on 28-29 June 1994 at the
International Trade Center, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
Its purpose was to finalize the formal Caribbean perspective for inclusion in the Latin
American and Caribbean regional report to be laid before the Latin American and
Caribbean Regional Preparatory Conference to be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, 26-30
September 1994.
The m eeting was attended by Mrs. Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General o f the
World Conference on W omen (WCW). She commended the subregion for being the first
to hold a meeting of the kind and was impressed by the active participation that the topic
had received in the subregion. She expressed hope that the type o f integration as displayed
would be repeated at Mar del Plata in Argentina and at the World Conference in Beijing.
She also highlighted the fact that the region was the first to have all its member countries
ratify the CEDAW Convention and took the opportunity to express the importance of
countries attending the final PrepCom in New York in 1995, so that the region’s ideas could
guide and merge with other ideas.
Fifteen member countries and six associate members of the Caribbean Developm ent
and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) attended the meeting. Twelve o f these countries
were represented at the ministerial level. Representatives from other U nited Nations
specialized bodies - International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Population
Fund (U N FPA ), United Nations Information Center (UNIC), U nited Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) attended the meeting.
Representatives from the sponsoring organizations: the United Nations Developm ent Fund
for W omen (UN IFEM ), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the British Developm ent
Division in the Caribbean (BD D C ) were also present.
The forum unanimously endorsed the document "Achieving Social Justice, Equity and
Development: A Review of the Status of W omen o f the Caribbean Subregion in Preparation
for the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995" for presentation at the Regional
Preparatory Conference in Mar de Plata, Argentina. Section III o f the document would be
revised and included as the recommendations arising from the meeting and would becom e
the Caribbean Platform for Action. The meeting felt that the Caribbean subregion was well
prepared to participate in the other activities of the Conference.

Agenda item I - Opening of the meeting
At the opening ceremony, four addresses were delivered by the following speakers:
the Director o f the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, Mr. Daniel
Blanchard; Mr. Rudy Collins, Assistant Secretary-General (Acting), CARICOM Secretariat;
Ms. Joycelyn Massiah, Regional Programme Adviser, UNIFEM , and a feature address by
the Hon. Edith Strauss-Marsera, Minister of W omen’s Affairs, Netherlands Antilles.
The Director of ECLAC identified the main concerns and objectives of the meeting
as had emanated from the country reports. These included: literacy, equal access to
education, participation in parliamentary assemblies and employment rates of women. H e
observed that women in the Caribbean were in a better position than many other women
around the world.
The representative from CARICOM commented that the preparatory process had
recorded many achievements. These were: the expansion of the available database;
amelioration of the constraints o f inadequate human and financial resources at the Bureaux;
the establishment of linkages with Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos
Islands; and a significantly increased measure o f involvement o f women at local and
community levels.
The UN IFEM representative noted that the meeting should result in an integrated
Caribbean perspective to be reflected in the report to be presented at the Regional
Preparatory M eeting in Mar del Plata, Argentina. She referred to U N IFEM ’s assistance in
this process and identified the need for public education on the Conference in Beijing and
effective information dissemination to specific target groups which could aid a national
consensus on the position of women.
The Hon. Minister welcomed participants to the Netherlands Antilles and
emphasized the importance of the meeting in preparing the Caribbean subregion for the
Fourth World Conference on Women, scheduled to be held in Beijing in 1995.

Agenda item 2:

Election o f the Bureau o f Presiding Officers

The M eeting elected the following persons to the Bureau of Presiding Officers:
Chairman:

Netherlands Antilles

Vice-Chairman:

Antigua and Barbuda

Members:

Haiti
Trinidad and Tobago

Rapporteur:

Dominica

Agenda Item 3: Adoption of the agenda
The meeting adopted the agenda and agreed to the hours of work, as proposed by
the Chairman.

Agenda item 4: Report on preparations of the Caribbean subregion
The meeting considered the technical report which outlined the activities undertaken
by the Caribbean in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women.
The purpose of the preparatory process was to make technical assistance available
to territories in the subregion for the production of their national reports and to encourage
and facilitate dialogue and consensus-building at the national, regional and global levels.
The rationale for this was that a well-prepared subregion could be more effective in its
regional and global interventions.
In this regard, the ECLAC/CDCC secretariat had provided technical assistance for
the convening of meetings; assisted in public information-gathering and dissemination;
assisted in the organization o f key preparatory meetings and had played a major role in the
preparation of a subregional report comprising a synthesis of the Report of the
Commonwealth Caribbean, commissioned by CARICOM and the national reports of the
remaining CDCC member countries.
The forum noted that of 22 CDCC member countries, 20 had participated fully in the
preparatory process; the only two countries not participating being Puerto Rico and the
U nited States Virgin Islands. It also noted that the entire process had been dependent on
the commitment and the support from agencies and embassies in the subregion, such as
UNIFEM , UNICEF, BDDC, the Canadian International Developm ent Agency (CIDA ) and
the CARICOM Secretariat.
A lso tabled for the information of the meeting was the report prepared by the
CARICOM Secretariat on activities undertaken in the Caribbean in preparation for the
Fourth World Conference on Women.

Agenda item 5: Presentation of subregional report
The paper "Achieving Social Justice, Equity and Development: A Review o f the
Status of W omen o f the Caribbean Subregion in Preparation for the Fourth World
Conference on Women, 1995" was prepared by the EC LAC/CDCC secretariat. It presented
a synthesis of the Commonwealth Caribbean Report and the national reports o f the nonCommonwealth Caribbean countries and incorporated information from 20 o f the 22
member and associate member countries of the CDCC.

4

In addition to providing a statistical comparison of the countries o f the subregion
through data made available in the national reports, the document highlighted areas of
consensus and dissensus and presented strategic objectives for the advancement of women
in the subregion.
The document was structured in three parts.
Section I provided a global,
hemispheric and subregional context for the analysis of the national reports with a special
section on the changing development paradigms. In addition, that section contained an
overview o f the key concerns which had been identified in the national reports and around
which consensus had been growing during the preparatory process. Those concerns were
identified as follows:
(a)
The impact of the movement of people in and out of the region and within
countries, on the conditions of women;
(b)
The growing violent culture in the subregion and the incidence o f violence
directed against women;
(c)

The special, yet differing, cases of Haiti and Cuba;

(d)

The continuing status of dependent territories;

(e)

The plight of indigenous women in the subregion;

(f)

The issues of ethnicity, race, culture and the advancement o f women;

(g)
The need for greater improvement in the mechanisms created for coordinating
and monitoring o f the integration o f women in development at the national and subregional
levels;
(h)
The position of women in the decision-making apparatus o f the societies in
the subregion;
(i)
The worsening position o f poor women and their dependants and special
groups, such as the elderly and the disabled;
(j)
The condition o f and position o f women in the informal sector and in lowwage/low-skill jobs.
Section II o f the document provided a comparative analysis of the national indicators
as outlined by the United Nations Guidelines. Through this mechanism, the document was
able to provide a picture of the status of women in the subregion which was comparable to
other subregions around the world.

5
Section III outlined overriding goals, regional objectives for technical cooperation and
specific objectives regarding eight critical areas o f concern for future action, as outlined by
the Commission on the Status o f Women (CSW) guidelines for national reporting.

Significant findings from national reports
National reports indicated that women in the Caribbean were still underrepresented
in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels, although their participation had
increased slightly in almost all areas for the period under review.
For example,
participation in parliamentary assemblies - despite women representing 50 per cent of the
population, their representation in parliamentary assemblies grew from a low 10 per cent
in 1980, to 12 per cent in 1985 to 13 per cent in 1992; in the sphere o f econom ic decision­
making, arrived at through indicators o f women as em ployers/own account workers and
women in business establishments, the data indicated that women fared better in this area
than in political decision-making. Women represented 25 per cent o f total employers and
own account workers in 1980, this increased to 29 per cent in 1985 and 35 per cent in 1992;
in business establishments, data suggested that women played a significant role. In 1980
women represented 20 per cent of the total, 25 per cent in 1985 and 49 per cent in 1992.
The data for education implied that in the subregion at the primary, secondary and
tertiary levels there was almost equal access to education for women. Only at the technical
level was there som e bias towards men. National reports, however, articulated concern for
the drop-out rates of young girls that seem ed to be increasing in the present economic
climate, and gender bias was still prevalent in the education system which resulted in young
girls pursuing traditional areas of study and employment.
A worrying trend in migration was noted regarding the emigration of young welleducated women. The World Bank has estimated that the Caribbean subregion has the
highest rate of migration in the world.
Escalating violence, particularly violence against wom en and domestic violence
against women and children, was one of the key concerns raised in all national reports.
This was one area where the collaboration of governments and NGOs has resulted in the
implementation of sound programmes, from shelters for battered wom en and children, to
training for police officers and new legislation. There was consensus, however, that greater
efforts were required to stem the tide o f violence.
The continuing status o f the Non-Independent Caribbean Countries (NICCs) and
their impact on the status of women in those countries was identified as a key concern
among the countries of the subregion. This was so, particularly in relation to the signing of
relevant international conventions and agreements, such as the Convention on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against W omen (CEDAW ). In addition, the laws of heritage
and citizenship as they impinge on women’s lives were identified as requiring review.

6
A disturbing trend in child labour was noted, as families attempted to cope with their
shrinking incomes by increasingly involving children in income-generating activities to help
fill the gap. This had implications for school drop-out rates, teenage fertility and
delinquency. Because in the Caribbean, a strong correlation existed between unemployment
and poverty, the high rates o f female unemployment in all territories were o f deep concern.
The increasing burden, of caring for grandchildren in the absence of parents, placed on
elderly women on fixed incomes was a growing disturbing phenomenon.
The EC LA C/C DC C paper also identified four regional strategic objectives for
technical cooperation, which were as follows:
(a)
To increase the exchange and cooperation among policy makers and their
technical advisers on programmes that addressed the subject of wom en and development.
(b)
To adopt necessary measures and agreements interregionally and nationally
to ensure freedom of movement of women working in all categories, either from the formal
or informal sectors throughout the region.
(c)
To reinforce and/or adopt measures to fully guarantee indigenous women’s
rights to social, economic, political sustainable development in an atmosphere of respect and
solidarity for their indigenous values, cultures and practices.
(d)
To strengthen subregional institutions whose functions were to link women and
their work throughout the region.
Discussion
The presenter of the report pointed out that many countries had not submitted data
in all aspects of their national reports. Therefore, this lack of data might have affected the
analysis in some areas of the report. Subsequently the need for countries to fill the data
gap was highlighted.
It was then agreed that each country would send to the
ECLA C/C DC C secretariat the necessary data that was needed.
Recommendations
The meeting recommended a number of adjustments to the report before its
presentation at the meeting in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

7

Agenda item 6:

Presentation of issue papers

Two issue papers were presented:
The Valuing of W omen’s Unwaged Work, prepared by the CARICOM
Secretariat; and
W omen in Science and Technology, presented by the delegation o f Cuba.

Women’s unwaged work
The meeting considered the paper entitled "The Valuing of W omen’s Unwaged
Work". It was stated in the paper that, since the beginning of the decade, women had been
seeking better measurement of their contribution to development. According to the 1988
U N System o f National Accounts, it was recommended that the goods and services not
exchanged for money be included in the concept of economic activity. The issue of
recognition of remunerated and unremunerated contributions o f wom en to all aspects and
sectors o f development had been agreed to in paragraph 120 o f the Forward-Looking
Strategies agreed upon in Nairobi in 1985.
The paper also considered the importance of women’s unwaged work in the
Caribbean in the light of:
(a)

The high proportion o f single-parent female-headed households;

(b)

The degree of entrenchment o f gender stereotypes;

(c)

The level o f underdevelopment in some countries and regions;

(d)

Vulnerability to militarism and war due to geographic location and small size;

(e)

The lack of social support for reproductive work.

and

This situation had also been exacerbated by structural adjustment programmes. The
meeting noted that unwaged work in the Caribbean had an economic and social cost and
recommended that this work be counted in Gross Dom estic Product (G D P ) using methods
developed by the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
W omen ( INSTRAW).

8
Comments
Comments made by participants included the following:
(a)
That the report on the valuing of women’s unwaged work could form part of
the documentation needed for the Human Developm ent Report for 1995.
(b)
That governments needed to be aware of the value o f unwaged work and that
the value o f unwaged work was critical to the issue o f the division o f property, especially in
common law unions. In addition, the value of unwaged work should be indicated to trade
unions.
(c)
That pilot surveys, such as those done within the framework o f household
surveys, could provide information on the issue o f unwaged work. In addition, training
should also be done in the areas o f budgeting and patenting.
(d)
the home.

That child care and family care had been neglected because of work outside

(e)
That standards and monitoring systems needed to be implemented in relation
to the nurturing role o f women.
(f)
That issues relating to the availability of water and electricity and wom en’s
health were important to the concept of unwaged work.
The importance o f legislation for divorced, separated and common-law union women
was emphasized. The Barbados and Saint Lucia representatives informed the meeting that
some measure o f legislative action had been taken in their countries pertaining to this issue,
namely:
(a)

Legislation on separation of property.

(b)
That no specific legislation existed in Saint Lucia on common law unions and
that the Courts were trying to put a value on unwaged labour in the division of property in
relation to divorce, separation and common-law unions.
(c)

That legislation on the division of property should be raised at Beijing.

(d)
That a new publication on women’s unwaged work would be forthcoming and
would outline the methodologies used in determining women’s unwaged work.
(e)

That a Bill valuing women’s unwaged work would be presented in Parliament.

Women in Science and Technology
The Cuba representative outlined the achievements made by women in science and
technology in Cuba.
She informed the meeting that in 1993 some 61.1 per cent of the technicians at the
middle and upper levels were women, while 43 percent o f all the technical women workers
were devoted to science. W omen were also scientific researchers and had made great
advances in scientific work.
In addition, women had contributed to scientific and technological knowledge in the
sugar industry, agriculture-animal husbandry, research institutes and in the biological and
medical sciences.
A woman scientist had made a scientific contribution in developing the first and only
anti-meningitis Group B vaccine with proved effect and had also developed projects of
bacterial and viral vaccines for cholera, viral triple new anti-meningitis vaccine, leptospirosis
and dengue among others.
W omen had also contributed in the following areas:

(a)

Discovering a better national variety for sugar cane recovery;

(b)

Application o f new fertilizers;

(c)

Curing cattle diseases;

(d)

The protection of the environment;

(e)

Research and development in the oil industry;

(f)

The use of alternate sources of energy; and

(g)

The production of medicine

Agenda item 7: Presentation of paper from regional women’s NGO community
The presenter reported on the deliberations of the NG O Forum.
The NGOs felt that the challenge which faced the Caribbean in the post­
emancipation period remained as relevant in the present situation, that o f building societies
where Caribbean cultures were nurtured; where political and econom ic democracy were

10

seen as mutually reinforcing and interdependent; where gender, class and racial inequities
were rejected; where models of econom ic development which located people at the centre
and were environmentally sustainable were pursued.
The N G O representative informed the meeting o f the negative effects o f structural
adjustment on both women and youth, and felt that changes in the law and education could
only promote de jure but not de facto equality. With respect to the institution of the family,
the N G O s supported the Family Code proposed by the CARICOM Secretariat. The report
identified the mass media as an important component in any policy aimed at the eradication
o f all kinds o f discrimination against women. There was need for policy guidelines to ensure
that the dignity of all human beings was being respected in advertising. The issue of
sexuality, reproductive health and rights and prostitution was accorded much importance in
the report which stated that "Reproductive rights should be stated in civil law: wom en’s
rights to bodily integrity is inalienable".
The report also addressed the issues of violence against women, militarism, migration,
human rights, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women and equality in powersharing and decision-making at all levels and the inequality in the sharing o f power and
decision-making. With respect to the issue of violence against women, the report
commented that in many parts of the region, this violence was now clearly acknowledged
to be a crime against the victim and the society. One major gain made during the last
decade had been the increased provision of social support services for victims of violence,
such provisions being largely borne out of the initiative of w om en’s non-governmental
organizations. With respect to the issue o f human rights, the report stated that the
challenge for women in the Caribbean was to reframe human rights theory and practice, so
as to make it more responsive to the nuances o f women’s experience o f injustice and
exclusion while continuing to call for specific guarantees for women, in particular nondiscriminatory laws and practices.
The presenter concluded by stating that individual and collective exercises were
required to identify and analyze the mechanisms at work and find ways to shape mechanisms
that were more realistic in promoting the advancement of women.
Discussion
The Guyana delegate offered support to the NGOs. The Cuban delegate also
expressed appreciation for the NGOs stating that their work should be given the support
that it deserved. She commented that the report should be seriously analyzed and that the
relationship betw een the NGOs and the government should be strengthened. The UNIFEM
consultant stated that the document prepared by the NGOs would highlight the fact that the
NGOs and the government shared similar concerns and this should be pointed to the
partners in development (the IMF and the World Bank). She asked, therefore, for the key
concerns o f the NGOS to be highlighted in such a way in their document so as to reflect
clearly their concerns.

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The presenter clarified that a main concern o f the NGOs was the present situation
in Haiti and called for support for the Haitian people. She recommended that Caribbean
support for Haiti should be dictated by what the Haitian people wanted and not by what
others wanted for them.

Agenda item 8: Presentation of the proposed Programme of Action
for the women of Latin America and the Caribbean
The paper "Achieving Social Justice, Equity and Development: A Review of the
Status of W omen in the Caribbean Subregion in Preparation for the Fourth World
Conference on Women, 1995" was adopted by consensus.

Agenda item 9: Schedule of upcoming preparatory activities
D elegates also informed the meeting of actions in relation to public education on the
Fourth World Conference on Women. The following is a summary of the country reports:
The delegate from Antigua and Barbuda stated that a Public Information Programme
had been started in 1993 and that a revised plan of action up to the year 2000 had been
prepared. A draft policy on W omen in Developm ent had been approved by the
Government. Both the media and the church had assisted in the dissemination of
information.
The Anguilla delegation informed the meeting that National Preparatory Committees
had been formed with assistance from the B D D C in 1993. Statistics on women had been
developed to the extent possible and education of the public through symposia and the press
had been accomplished. A women’s shelter had been opened. Anguilla had begun to seek
observer status in both CARICOM and CDCC forums.
In the Bahamas, a number of Public Education Workshops had been convened. The
gender training of personnel, especially among the NGOs and senior Government officials
had been effected.
In Barbados, a National Preparatory Committee and a National Advisory Committee
had been formed and were functioning. National-level consultations with government, the
private sector and the NGOs had been held. A strategy and objectives to the year 2000 had
been prepared and was awaiting Cabinet approval. Much media activity had been executed
and an education programme had been embarked on. Encouragement had been given to
NGOs and other bodies to utilize creative methods of sharing information with the public.
The B D D C had bëen instrumental in providing for the aforementioned developments.

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In Cuba, dissemination of information had been done through ministries,
organizations and institutions related to women’s affairs. The organizations were engaged
in making a second evaluation of the Nairobi strategy for advancement o f women. A debate
on wom en’s issues was scheduled for March 1995. Much mass media activity as well as,
research and community work had been promoted. A legislative council had been
established to disseminate national legislation on women’s rights.
In Dominica, the National Advisory Committee and the National W omen’s Bureau
had been spearheading jointly the initiative to educate the public. Training on gender issues
and Family Life Education had been undertaken. The media had been utilized to this end.
Four national consultations had to date been conducted.
In the Dominican Republic, meetings had been held to encourage participation at
the Fourth World Conference on Women. The media, both printed and electronic, had
been pressed into action. A document had been formulated to include national proposals
for insertion of women in the national and social policies of the Dominican Republic. Five
forums had been planned with a starting date o f August 1994 with a view to arriving at
positions on several issues. The Dominican Republic had registered support for the
UNICEF campaign for legislation to end discrimination against women. It had organized
a National Exposition of Art and Craft to be held in Decem ber 1994.
The delegation from Jamaica reported that a meeting had been planned for 27 July
1994 with influential persons in the government and private sectors for funding that
country’s presence in Beijing. Media coverage had been planned for the July meeting.
Belize reported the development for dissemination of a pamphlet on the Beijing
Conference. That country was convening a Gender Planning Workshop for senior policy
makers.
In Saint Lucia, preparatory work had included the preparation o f monthly fact sheets
on w omen and a quarterly magazine to look at issues. A weekly radio programme had also
been planned. Several consultations with women and women’s groups had been planned
or held. That country had planned to host the Fourth M eeting o f wives o f Heads of State
and Government from 1 1 - 1 3 October 1994.
In Suriname, a National Preparatory Committee had been formed. In addition, a
public education programme for rural women and women in the interior had been planned.
Committees had been set up in those areas.
The delegation from Trinidad and Tobago reported that assistance had been received
from the IDB to help strengthen the W omen’s Affairs Division. A gender training initiative
had been embarked on. Consultations with NGOs and citizens, especially rural women,
had been planned. Twelve national fairs for women prior to the Beijing Conference had
been planned.

13
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, A W omen in Developm ent Committee had been
inaugurated in October 1993 with assistance from the BDDC. Programmes of sensitization
of wom en in the community and gender training o f persons had been embarked on. A
review o f existing legislation on women had been planned. A W omen’s D esk had been
established.
The m eeting noted that a Public Education Programme was being planned by
organizations such as the Caribbean News Agency (CANA), U N IFEM and the W omen and
D evelopm ent Unit (W AN D ) of the University of the West Indies, Barbados, among others.
The Programme was designed to develop themes that would focus on issues that would bring
about a change in behaviour.

Item 10: Any other business

Inclusion o f gender in conditionalities
The Jamaica representative expressed the view that countries request that gender
issues be included in the list of conditionalities posed by Multilateral Financing Institutions,
such as the World Bank.

Funding for Beijing
The Jamaica and Guyana delegations expressed concern as to the means of funding
participation of certain countries in the Fourth World Conference on W omen and drew
attention to the doubtful ability of small and vulnerable countries undergoing structural
adjustment to secure funding for their participation in the W om en’s Conference in Beijing.

Agenda item 11: Closing session
Ms. Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on
Women, addressed the meeting.
After reiterating her praise for the subregion in the conduct of its preparatory
activities, she called for government and agency commitment to certain key areas prior to
attendance at Beijing, which she felt would ensure that action would be taken. The
implementation of CED AW legislation was one such measure and the need to consult with
decision-makers in the process leading to Beijing was another. She stressed that the
member countries should not lose their focus, but should remember that at Beijing it is
important to present a unified position.

14
She reminded the meeting that after the Conference in Beijing other issues would
take the fore. It was, therefore, important that each country establish som e foundation for
this issue with sufficient anticipation.
She reiterated the need for country participation in the March 1995 M eeting o f the
Commission on the Status of Women, as this meeting would prepare the Draft Platform of
Action for Beijing.
She also undertook to examine means of funding country participation at Beijing
since she understood that some countries would otherwise face financing difficulties.
Mrs. Edith Strauss-Marsera, Minister o f W omen’s Affairs, Netherlands Antilles,
delivered the vote of thanks.
There being no other business, the meeting closed with an exchange of courtesies.

L

15
Annex

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Member countries

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Her Excellency
Ms Gwendolyn M oreen Tonge
Senator/Parliamentary Secretary
Office o f the Prime Minister
Factory Road
St John’s
Ms Ermina Osoba
Resident Tutor
University of the W est Indies
School o f Continuing Studies
St John’s

BAHAMAS

Mrs Cora Bain-Colebrooke
Assistant Director
W omen’s Affairs Unit
Ministry of Justice and Immigration
P.O. Box N-3008
Nassau
Ms Phedra M. Rahming
Administrative Cadet
Ministry of Justice and Immigration

BARBADOS

Ms Maizie Barker-Welch
Parliamentary Secretary
Ministry o f Labour and
Community Developm ent
Old National Insurance Building
Fairchild Street
Bridgetown
Ms Marva Alleyne
Director, W omen’s Bureau
Ministry of Labour and
Community Developm ent

16

BELIZE

Ms Anita Zetina
Director
Department of W omen’s Affairs
Ministry o f Human Resources
P.O. Box 846
Belize City
Ms Sylvia Louise Cattouse
University College o f Belize

CUBA

Ms Maria Yolanda Ferrer G om ez
Secretaria General de la
Federación de Mujeres Cubanos
Paseo 260 Esquina 13
Vedado, Ciudad Habana
M.A. Leonor Rodríguez Lezcano
Federación de Mujeres Cubanos

DOMINICA

Ms Theodora Joseph
W omen’s Bureau
Economic Developm ent Unit
Ministry o f Finance
Prime Minister’s Office
Roseau

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Ms Rosa R oa de López
Directora General
Oficina de Promoción de la Mujer
Santo Domingo

GUYANA

Her Excellency
The Honourable Indra Chandarpal
Minister in the Ministry o f Labour,
Human Services, Social Security
and Housing
Cornhill Street
Stabroek, Georgetown

i

Ms H azel Halley-Burnett
Administrator
W omen’s Affairs Department
Ministry o f Labour, Human Services,
Social Security and Housing
Cornhill Street
Stabroek, Georgetown

HAITI

Her Excellency
The Honourable Claudette Werleigh
Minister o f Foreign Affairs
c /o Embassy o f Haiti in Washington
Washington D.C.
Ms Chantai P. Dominique
Consul General d’Haiti
Consulat General d’Haiti
Pekseusweg No. 14
Willemstad

JAMAICA

Her Excellency
The Honourable Portia Simpson
Minister o f Labour and Welfare
IF North Street
Kingston
Dr Lisa Holt-Lawrence
Director
Ministry of Labour and W elfare
18 Ripou Road
Kingston 5

SAINT KITTS/NEVIS

Ms Zita Bowry
Head of W omen’s Bureau
Ministry of W omen’s Affairs
Church Street
Basseterre

SAINT LUCIA

Her Excellency
The Honourable Lorraine Williams
Attorney-General and Minister of
Legal Affairs & W omen’s Affairs
Government Buildings, Laborie
Ms Bernadette Springer
W omen’s Affairs Officer
Ministry of Legal Affairs
and W omen’s Affairs
Government Buildings, Laborie

SAINT VINCENT AND THE
GRENADINES

SURINAME

Ms Jeanie Ollivierre-McDonald
Coordinator, W omen’s Affairs
Ministry of Education and
W omen’s Affairs
Kingstown

Ms Nadia Lysette Becker
Ministry of H om e Affairs
Paramaribo
Ms Van der V een
First Secretary/Gender Specialist
Netherlands Embassy in Suriname
Lim A Postraat 25
Paramaribo

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Her Excellency
The Honourable Joan Yuille-W illiams
Minister o f Community Developm ent,
Culture and W omen’s Affairs
8 Jerriingham Avenue
Port-of-Spain
Dr Dorrell Phillip
Consultant to Minister
Ministry of Community Developm ent,
Culture and W om en’s Affairs

19

Associate members

MONTSERRAT

Her Excellency
The Honourable Lazelle G. Howes
Minister o f Education, Health and
Community Services
Parliament Street
P.O. Box 103, Plymouth
Ms Millicent Bass
Principal Community Developm ent Officer
Ministry o f Education, Health and
Community Services

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

Her Excellency
The Honourable Edith Strauss-Marsera
Minister o f W omen’s Affairs
Ms Bernadette D ougle
Head, Department o f W omen’s Affairs
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms
Ms

R.M. Allen
Ann Benjamin
Edris Bennett-Merkman
Louise de Bode-Olton
Ruth Brewster
Jacqueline Martis
Anne-Celine Oedit Doebe-Scheper
Ann Philipps
Nolda Romer-Kenepa
Jamila Romero
Midga Maria Schill
Anatasia Simmons
Joan Smart-Berkel
Irmgard Swakhoven-Troeman
J. Snoeren
C.M. Verselewer de Witt Hamer
Nilva L.M. Wout

20

UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS

His Excellency
Mr Carlyle Corbin
Minister o f State for External Affairs
Government House
St Thomas

Observers
ANGUILLA

His Excellency
Mr Edison A. Baird
Minister Responsible for W om en’s Affairs
W omen’s Affairs Unit
Ministry of Social Services
The Secretariat, P.O. Box 60
The Valley
Ms Lana Wyomie Connor-Hoyoung
Technical Adviser/Director
of W omen’s Affairs
W omen’s Affairs Unit
Ministry of Social Services

TURKS AND CAICOS

Ms Arabella R. Smith
Ministry of Education, Youth,
Sports and W omen’s Affairs
Front Street
Grand Turk
Ms Leila Robinson
Ministry of Education, Youth,
Sports and W omen’s Affairs

21

Organizations
Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)
Mr Rudy Collins, Assistant Secretary General (Ag.), P.O. Box 10827, Georgetown, Guyana
Andaiye, CARICOM Resource Person
Ms Janice Bisnauth, Project Officer
Ms Cynthia Ellis, Consultant
Ms A licia Mondesire, Adviser

British Development Division in the Caribbean (BDDC)
Ms Jane Armstrong, Programme Officer, BDDC, P.O. Box 167, Bridgetown, Barbados
Mr John Harrison, Regional Social Developm ent Adviser

International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Ms Constance Thomas, Senior Specialist, International Labour Standards and Gender Issues,
ILO Office for the Caribbean, 11 St Clair Avenue, Port-of-Spain

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Ms Liliana Frieiro, Deputy Chief, Latin American and Caribbean Division, U N FPA,
220 East 42nd Street, New York N.Y. 10017

United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)
Ms Janet Badjan-Young, Director, UNIC Office for the Caribbean Area, P.O. Box 130,
Port-of-Spain

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Ms Luisa A.S. Vicioso, National Officer for W omen and Education, Avenida Mexico
No. 165, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Ms Eveline Pressoir-L’Official, W omen and Developm ent Officer, 17 R ue Armand Holly,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Ms D enise Shepherd-Johnson, UNICEF Caribbean Area Officer, Building 2, Floor 2,
Chelston Park, Culloden Road, St Michael

22

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Ms. A na Maria Brasileiro, Chief, Latin American and Caribbean Division, UNIFEM ,
304 E 45th Street, New York NY 10017
Ms. Joycelin Massiah, Regional Programme Adviser, UNIFEM , Chelston Park,
Culloden Road, Bridgetown, Barbados
Ms. Audrey Ingram-Roberts, Consultant, UNIFEM , Barbados

Special Guests
Ms Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General, Fourth World Conference on W omen (WCW),
U N Headquarters, New York, NY 10017

ECLAC
Mr D aniel Blanchard, Director, ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean,
P.O. Box 1113, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Miriam Krawczyk, Chief, W omen and Developm ent Unit, ECLAC/Santiago
Ms Asha Kambon, Social Affairs Officer, ECLAC/Port-of-Spain
Ms D iane Aimeras, Social Affairs Officer, ECLAC/Santiago
Ms Evangelina Mijares, Social Affairs Officer, ECLAC/M exico
Ms Trudy Teelucksingh, Economics Assistant, ECLAC/Port-of-Spain
Ms Pauline Van der Aa, Expert, ECLAC/Santiago