Globalisation and development: Popular movements in the Caribbean THE WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION FOR FEMINIST RESEARCH AND ACTION (CAFRA)
THE WOMEN and Development Unit (WAND) is located at the Open Campus of The University of the West Indies. This feminist movement focuses on women and their achievement in Caribbean development, and they strongly advocate for women’s rights. Looking at its history, WAND was established in August 1978 in the context of the UN Decade for Women. In relation to the Caribbean, Rhoda Reddock (1994) enunciated that patterns of female subordination and gender relations in the Anglophone Caribbean are linked to the historical experiences of the plantation society and indentureship. It shows that women, for centuries, have been seen to be inferior and incompetent in comparison to males. Suffice to say that hegemonic masculinity throughout history has reinforced this notion. It should be noted, however, as posited by Reddock (1994) in 1974, Jamaica became one of the first countries in the world to institute governmental mechanisms geared towards women’s rights even before the declaration of International Women’s Year in 1975. In the field of gender studies, the concept of hegemonic masculinity was coined by Raewyn Connell and, ever since, it has been used to conceptualise masculinity throughout the world. James Messerschmidt (2018) enunciated that the reason for the widespread popularity of this concept contributes to a significant understanding of how unequal gender relations are legitimised between men and women.
Established in 1988, CAFRA, located in St Lucia, has the mandate of understanding the oppression of women in society and working assiduously to create a climate in which social justice is realised. Furthermore, CAFRA is a regional network of feminists, individual researchers, activists and women’s organisations that define feminist politics as a matter of both consciousness and action.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
As outlined on its website, the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) is a coalition of Caribbean non-governmental organisations (NGO). It was established in 1991 to sensitise NGOs and the general public on key policy issues and to impact policymakers on decisions which put the interests of Caribbean people at the centre of Caribbean development.
Since its inception, the CPDC has lobbied regional and international governments on behalf of the most vulnerable sections of Caribbean populations whose voices are often less heard. With a history of lobbying and an impressive portfolio of projects and programmes implemented on behalf of Caribbean peoples, the CPDC has been recognised as an important social partner in the development of the region.
CPDC promotes development which:
■ Is people oriented;
■ Is environmentally sustainable;
■ Protects human rights;
■ Is equitable in terms of gender, race, class, age and ability/disability;
■ Encourages leadership and learning at all levels;
■ Is based on active and effective participation of people in the decision-making process.
The CPDC’s members comprise 33 regional, national NGO networks and individuals. An NGO is a non-profit entity working with people to achieve long-term improvements in the quality of their lives. NGOs often form common platforms or networks at either the national or regional level in order to increase their visibility and support each other’s work.
The CPDC, both directly and through its members, works with groups of farmers, rural people, women, youth, church members, artists, researchers, professionals, media workers, small business people and policymakers.
That is it for this week’s lesson. I really hope that you all are keeping safe, sanitising and studying.