There is a high level of legal commitment by governments in Barbados and the OECS addressing women’s equality. Regional and international instruments (e.g. CEDAW, the Inter-American Convention of Belem do Para, Beijing et al) have been aligned with national constitutional commitments. However, the low and uneven level of women in political participation and decision-making processes signals a high degree of marginalization and the persistence of gender-biased cultural and gender socialization patterns.
The overall goals of the UNDP/UNIFEM Project are to: (i) increase women’s participation in political and governance processes and enhance their capacities through strengthened networking of politicians and leaders; and (ii) increase gender commitments and eradication of gender inequality through an advocacy component by collating and documenting existing research and other resources to represent and illustrate gendered interests in governance processes and parliamentary processes in Barbados and the OECS. Project activities will be implemented in partnership with the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bureau of Gender Affairs in Barbados and the National Organisation of Women in Barbados.
The Project will also build on the UNIFEM Transformation Leadership Project. The overall aim of the latter project was to transform and engender governance and leadership in the region so as to ensure the participation of women of all ages as agents of change towards an equitable and gender-sensitive society.
Key Activities and Corresponding Outputs and Outcomes
1. Portal Development
This portal will be a web-based resource created to serve as a focal point for discussion and dissemination of information on strengthening the political participation of women in the region. The portal will possess the following capabilities:
- The ability to post current news items and articles on matters related to the theme of the project and of interest to the target audience;
- The ability to maintain a searchable database of documents, articles or other information on these topics;
- A Discussion Forum facility that allows for an exchange of ideas and information among website visitors on specific topics;
- Provision of access, via links or otherwise, to other selected resources on female participation in the parliamentary and political process.
Outputs
- Implement features such as content management and the Discussion Forum.
- Prepare and upload the initial content for the portal which will be provided by UNIFEM.
- The creation of a usable product before the end of December 2004.
Outcomes
- Increased support and strengthening of network of women in politics in the region as there will be timely and easier facilitation of information.
- Increased collaboration on project activities which would lead to a decrease in fragmentation and duplication of efforts.
- A linkage between theories on gender and policy making as there will be increased access by parliamentarians, NGOs, CBOs, Gender Bureaus, and other interested agencies, to articles, papers and information on women’s political participation.
2. Networking and Advocacy
There are four components to this project activity, namely: a national dialogue on broad community participation in the political process in Barbados; a national dialogue on alliance-building and constituency building; production of a video on female parliamentarians to be used in training, sensitization and mentoring programmes and to inform print and electronic media; and, an outreach programme to encourage young women to pursue a career in politics.
National Dialogue on Broad Community Participation in the Political Process in Barbados
This event’s target audience includes political party representatives, parliamentarians, community leaders, activists, young people and other key stakeholders. This event will be implemented in partnership with the National Organisation of Women in Barbados.
Outputs
- A panel discussion on community involvement in the Barbadian political process.
- A panel discussion on how to achieve broad community representation in Parliament.
- A panel discussion on the role, importance and advancement of women in political party structures.
National Dialogue on Alliance-building and Constituency-building
This workshop’s target audience is women and men in politics in Barbados, who wish to elect more women into parliament, Gender Bureaus, parliamentarians, the media and key NGOs and CBOs. This event will be implemented in partnership with the National Organisation of Women in Barbados.
Outputs
- Activities on building and strengthening alliances and networks between the parties mentioned above.
- Exchange of ideas and experiences between parliamentarians and women who wish to be elected into office.
Outcomes
- Strengthening of the national network of women in politics, including women parliamentarians.
- Increased collaboration between Gender Bureaus, NGOs, women in politics and parliamentarians.
Gender, Youth and Political Participation Workshop
A key component of this project is to encourage young women to pursue a career in politics. The recognition that this process is intergeneration is vital to the sustainability of the intended outcomes of the Project. To this end, UNIFEM and UNDP Barbados/OECS, in partnership with the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua & Barbuda will be convening a Regional Workshop on “Gender Youth and Political Participation” in Antigua & Barbuda from 11 – 13 April 2005. Applications for participation in the workshop from young men and young women, ages 18 – 35, who are nationals of Barbados and the OECS are invited. Successful applicants will be fully sponsored to attend the workshop. Click here for Details.
