Islands and Allies for Peace: Towards ‘Women, Peace and Security’ solutions for the Caribbean

March 12, 2025: A call to establish a CARICOM Envoy to lead the Caribbean’s journey to achieve just, peaceful and resilient societies and the commitment of solidarity and support by the African Union, UN Women and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, were some of the major outcomes at the event: Islands and Allies for Peace: Towards ‘Women, Peace and Security’ Solutions.

The Caribbean region has been described as one of relative peace that is however significantly impacted by organised violence and crime, severe climate change impacts, migration influxes, and widespread violence against women. These intersect with growing security issues such as armed violence, and a significant gang crisis driven by drug trafficking and competition for trafficking routes.

Developing a Caribbean Regional Action Plan for advancing the “Women, Peace and Security Agenda” was the focus of a consultation held on the margins of the 69th convening of the Commission of the Status of Women – CSW69. The Governments of Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and the United Kingdom, the UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean and The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund hosted the event with funding support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Women Deputy Executive Director noted that at the recent SIDS4 Conference and in the Communique of the associated SIDS Gender Equality Forum, the Caribbean region highlighted a broader definition of peace:

“The peace and security agenda is not just about the presence of active war and conflict; it is about the absence of total peace in people's lives. Whether we call it violence against women, we call it gang violence, or we call it climate vulnerabilities, the essence of peace and the notion of peace demands us to have a broader perspective and a broader definition that enables us to be able to respond. Therefore, the importance at this moment is for us to build on the importance of resilience - resilience of communities which is rooted in the voices, the experiences, and the perspectives of women”.

Mme Bineta Diop, Special Envoy on Women, Peace, and Security, African Union Commission shared that from the African Union’s experience, that regional cooperation, policy frameworks, and WPS Envoys have a significant positive impact on the development of gender-sensitive peace and security measures. The AU Special Envoy added:

“The appointment of a CARICOM WPS Envoy is a significant step that will increase the representation of women in the decision-making processes and their involvement in peacebuilding processes. The Haiti crisis offers a clear example that peace cannot be sustained without women’s involvement in the process. The representation of women in Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, although partial, requires more efforts to achieve the full participation of women… The African Union has been reaffirming its commitment to strengthening relations with the African Diaspora worldwide, including the Caribbean, and particularly, the Haitian community, since the start of the unrests. To this end, I wish to announce that the African Women Leaders Network will undertake a Solidarity visit to Haiti this year”.

Isiuwa Iyahen, Head of Office ad interim, UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean said:

“As we mark Beijing+30, commemorating three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, it is crucial to recognize the deep connections between this landmark framework and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. The Beijing Platform for Action was groundbreaking in calling for women's equal participation in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding—principles that were later enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent WPS resolutions. For more than two decades, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda has made clear that peace and security efforts are more effective, sustainable, and just, when women are at the table.”

Tonni Brodber, Head of Secretariat, UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) stressed that women’s leadership remains underfunded and undervalued:

“Women are not just victims—they are leading recovery efforts after hurricanes, mediating community conflicts, and advocating for justice in the face of violence. In Haiti, WPHF is actively funding women-led organizations that are providing critical support services—safe houses, trauma counselling, and advocacy for women affected by gender-based violence and organized crime. We continue our investment in Haiti with an immediate investment of 2 million USD this year... WPHF is also committed to investing in women-led climate action in CARICOM and globally. Investing in women-led solutions strengthens climate resilience, peace, and security across the CARICOM region”.

Trinidad and Tobago signalled the value of and its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda as the first Caribbean nation to pursue the WPS Agenda and has submitted a National Action Plan to Cabinet for approval.

Kurt Meyer, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad and Tobago told the meeting that for the period 2019 to 2022, records show a total of 8,829 reports of domestic violence.

“Data from our National Violence Hotline have revealed that a number of reports of over 1,600 over the same period. When we drill down into the data, the victims are predominantly women and girls, with the vast majority, over 90% being under the age of 35. During this period, 144 persons lost their lives as a direct result of domestic violence. The majority of these deaths were women”.

He added that the twin island nation is implementing a number of intervention strategies: research on the linkages between gang violence and gender-based violence; a national parenting programme; engaging with women's networks within faith-based organisations to provide safe spaces for trauma-informed discussions, adopting the Boys and Girls Club model for in and out of school programmes for youth, and scaling up the retiree adolescent Partnership Programme to promote the role of senior women within marginalised communities with experience to help reduce the levels of crime and operate as agents of peace.

The event also sought to strengthen the regional and global women’s movements to support gender responsive political and peace processes in the region drawing from the Haitian experience.

Honourable Pedrica Saint Jean, Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights – Haiti, said over 300,000 people have been displaced within the country fleeing extreme gang violence, reports of sexual violence have increased and many survivors are scared to report. However she said Haitian women are not mere victims:

“Haitian women continue to fight. They are the pillars of their community. They carry the hope of whole generations and do not abandon those in the most afflicted areas. They have organised a Solidarity Network. While we struggle for Haiti to get its first national action plan, women must be at the centre of discussions over safety, governance and reconstruction of the country and we must also mobilise the international community. The support of our partners is crucial to reinforce our institutional capacity and to ensure a rigorous follow up of the commitments taken towards women's rights, a message of peace and resilience”.

Civil society representatives also contributed to the lessons learned and proposed solutions. Folade Mutota Executive Director of The Trinidad and Tobago-based Women's Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) said they had adopted a WPS approach from 2002 and advocated its benefits: “We have advanced the argument that women's leadership particularly in borderline communities, and when I speak about borderline communities here I'm talking about communities with gang territories, that women's leadership to prevent and reduce harm warrants analysis, and positions women for full and effective participation in decision making on small arms control”.

Pascale Solages, a Haitian CSO representative said more and flexible financing is needed – however she stressed the value of indigenous knowledge and experiences. “You have to trust Haitian women. You have to trust Caribbean women. We know our reality. We know what we have to do. We know what has worked for Haitian women and girls, for Caribbean women and girls. You have to trust the women in their country because they know what they have to do as activists, they know what they have to do as feminists”.  

The UN Women MCO - Caribbean Head Isiuwa Iyahen said the wealth of experiences and solutions shared should be tapped into by other Caribbean countries since the WPS comprehensive approach not only addresses immediate security challenges but also promotes sustainable peace and inclusive development in the Caribbean.

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This story was first published by UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean

For further information, please contact:

Sharon Carter-Burke
Communications Analyst, UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean
Email: sharon.carter-burke@unwomen.org
WhatsApp: 1-246-836-6124

Shelly Dolabaille
Communications and Partnerships Analyst,
UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean
Email: shelly.dolabaille@unwomen.org
WhatsApp: 1-868-330-4791