Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Information

Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Information

Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: May 2006 Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Information NATIONAL POLICY AND ACTION PLAN FOR GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA Mohammed 2005 Prepared by Patricia Mohammed, Lead Consultant Centre for Gender and Development The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Trinidad and Tobago Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 NATIONAL POLICY AND ACTION PLAN FOR GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA Prepared by Patricia Mohammed, Lead Consultant & Deborah Mc Fee – Research Assistant UWI/CGDS Consultants June 2006 with Members of the Technical Support Committee by Sector ECONOMY, POVERTY AND AGRICULTURE LABOUR Kervin Stephenson Curtis Augustus Andrea Shillingford RELIGION, MEDIA AND Lyndell Williams CULTURE Esther M. Thomas Sister Lorraine Royer Norma Cyrille EDUCATION Catherine Valerie Solomon Dr. Kay Polydore Tim Durand Dr. Alexandra Burton James Ted Serrant GENDER MACHINERY Nicholas Goldberg Rosie Browne Virginia Thomas Roselyn Paul Melena Fontaine GENDER AND DECISION MAKING HEALTH Kertist Augustust Shirley Augustine Amonia Paul Role Joan Henry Dr. Damien Dublin Julie Frampton REFORM MANAGEMENT Ruth Allport FAMILY, SEXUALITY AND Carrie Baron VIOLENCE Dr. Griffin Benjamin Sophelia Hilaire IMPLEMENTATION TEAM Vanya David Rosie Browne (Bureau staff) Angelica Pierre Louis Martha Joseph (Bureau staff acting f. R Paul) Natalie Rolle Claudia Bellot (Member W Bureau Adv Committee) Michael Norris (Member W Bureau Adv Committee) LEGISLATION Carrie Barron ( Rep. Reform Management Unit) Gloria Septra Augustus Everline Baptiste 2 Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY POLICY AND ACTION PLAN FOR GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA When a society sets out to achieve equality, the concept must be immediately paired with that of equity. Where equality is the ideal or equilibrium which the society strives to attain, equity is the sense of fairness and justice and the laying out of actions which must be taken in respect of differences found in any human population: differences by race, ethnicity, geographic location, class, physical and mental disability and gender. To assume sameness of all members of a population is not necessarily to treat them equitably. The National Gender Policy and Action Plan advocated here have at its heart a recognition and appreciation for the differences between men and women; differences that are based on physiological and biological realities as well as socially imposed constructs. Bearing in mind these differences, the Policy seeks to secure for men and women alike the opportunities to maximize their potential as human beings and as valuable citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Regardless of gender, or indeed any other demographic categorization, we all require protection from harm and prejudice; the provision of basic amenities including access to healthcare; opportunities for education and training; and fair recourse to justice. However, what men and women may require of these services, and the ways in which they make use of them, may differ. This Policy attempts to identify a range of issues, systems and institutions that must take on board these differences if all citizens are to enjoy lives free from fear and discrimination. The provision of economic opportunities and a challenge to confront ideological restraints which hold gender stereotypes in place are the first building blocks on which the policy is constructed. The Budget address of the Prime Minister of Dominica for the year 2005-6 indicates both an upturn in the country’s economic growth performance as well as the willingness of the present government towards social protection and poverty reduction, both areas which speak directly to concerns identified in this policy. The document examines the key sectors in which gender issues surface in a society: those of family, sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, gender based violence, education, health and medicine, pointing to the need for review of existing legislation or for dissemination of information in many of these. It targets the areas of power and decision-making as these involve women in the society. The eighty eight action points advanced in this Policy demonstrate options for a systematized approach to gender- awareness which accommodate and support equality between the sexes while recognizing legitimate biological differences which should not provide grounds for discrimination. The need for interventions is pervasive. Changes must come from all sectors and levels, across a range of disciplines and interests and must be effected for all classes, age groups and belief systems. 3 Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 List of Acronyms AB Aid Bank . BERP Basic Education Reform Programme . CAFRA Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action . CARICOM Caribbean Community . CARDI Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute . CBO Community Based Organization . CDB Caribbean Development Bank . CDF Community Development Fund . CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women CD&WA Ministry of Community Development and Women’s Affairs . CGDS Centre for Gender and Development Studies . CIDA Canadian International Development Agency . COMSEC Commonwealth Secretariat . CPA Country Poverty Assessment . CSO Central Statistical Office . DACAMEN Dominican Association of Catholic Men . DFID Department for International Development . DNCW Dominica National Council for Women . ECCB Eastern Caribbean Central Bank . ECIAF Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry . EU European Union . FDI Foreign Direct Investment . GAD Gender and Development . GD Gender Affairs Division . GDP Gross Domestic Product . GFP Gender Focal Points . GMS Gender Management Systems . GOCD Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica . HIV/AIDS Human Immune-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome . IADB Inter-American Development Bank . IICA Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture . ILO International Labour Organization . MDGS Millennium Development Goals . MOHSS Ministry of Health and Social Security . MOCD Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Information . MOESYA & HRD Ministry of Education, Sport, Youth Affairs and Human Resource Development . NGO Non Governmental Organization . NGPP National Gender Policy and Plan . OAS Organization of American States . OAS/CIM Inter-American Commission on Women . OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development . OECS Organization of Eastern Caribbean States 4 Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 . PAHO Pan American Health Organisation . PoA Plan of Action . SAP Structural Adjustment Programme . SGI/PGI Strategic Gender Interests/Practical Gender Interests . SPAT Small Projects Assistance Team . SGN/PGN Strategic Gender Needs/Practical Gender Needs . STI Sexually Transmitted Infections . UN United Nations . UNDP United Nations Development Programme . UNECLAC United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean . UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women . USAID United States Agency for International Development . UWI University of the West Indies . WB World Bank . WB Women’s Bureau . WHO World Health Organisation . WID Women In Development . WTO World Trade Organization 5 Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 Table of Contents Technical Support Committee ii Executive Summary iii List of Acronyms iv - v Part A Framework and Process 1 Section 1 Principles, Vision and Aims 2-9 1.1 Guiding Principles 1.2 Concepts and Definitions 1.3 Policy Goal and Vision Statement 1.4 Strategic Objectives of the Gender Policy 1.5 Strategies to Achieve Policy Objectives 1.6 Institutional Framework 1.6.1 The Role of the National Machinery Commonwealth of Dominica PART B The Local and International Setting 10 Section 2 The Enabling Environment 11-19 The National Environment 2.1 Background 2.2 National Environment and Gender Machinery 2.3 International and Regional Initiatives and Commitments 2.3.1. CEDAW - A Rights-based Framework 2.3.2. The Beijing Conference 1995 and The Regional Climate for Gender Policy Formulation 2.3.3. Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender and Development 2.3.4. OAS/CIM Inter American Commission on Women 2.3.5. CARICOM Plan of Action 2.3.6. Interrelationship of the International, Regional and Local Context Section 3 The Policy Formulation Process 20-25 3.1 Overview 6 Policy And Action Plan For Gender Equity And Equality In The Commonwealth Of Dominica: June 2006 3.2 Concept 3.3 Participation and Consultation 3.3.1 Integral Support of the Public Sector 3.3.2 Gender Sensitive Policy Training and Consultation, Preparation for Sector Studies 3.3.3 Public Education and Media Sensitization 3.4 Research 3.5 Formulation and Implementation of the Policy Diagram 1 The Consultative and Research Process Diagram 2 The Process of Consultation and Policy Formulation PART C Analysis, Policy And Implementation 26 Section 4 A Situational Analysis of the Commonwealth 27-50 of Dominica from a Gender Perspective 4.1 Components of Population Growth and

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