Six strategic action areas were agreed as critical for the Caribbean in achieving substantive gender equality and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The priorities set to inform next steps around the localisation of the SDGs in the Caribbean were identified at a regional meeting of Ministers responsible for Gender Affairs, Parliamentarians and stakeholders towards ensuring a Caribbean voice and focus on Gender Equality in the emerging global sustainable development agenda. The meeting was hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in partnership with UN Women and UNFPA.

With the support of the UN Women MCO Caribbean Office, Guyana’s Minister of Social Protection, the Honorable Volda Lawrence M.P presented these outcome areas to the Eighth Conference of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians held recently in the British Virgin Islands.

Minister Lawrence told the gathering the main action areas were:

1. Prioritisation of goal no. 5 of the Proposed 17 SDGs – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,
2. Filling the CARICOM Gender Desk with a Regional Expert,
3. Recommendation that CARICOM coordinate and lead the discussions on GE & SDGs regionally,
4. Call for the Implementation and development of an inclusive M&E framework for GE & SDGs,
5. Advocacy for adequate and targeted financial and human resources for gender responsive implementation of the SDGs and
6. Building on existing partnerships to ensure implementation and monitoring of the SDGs.

Please click here for the full text of Minister Lawrence’s remarks