I express the warmest sentiments of the Caribbean Community to all women in the Region, the Regional Diaspora and indeed, the world on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2005 in this the year of the CARICOM Single Market.

This International Women’s Day we pay tribute to women and their extraordinary economic, social, cultural and political contributions to societal development. This is a day that gives voice to the struggle for equality by women everywhere regardless of nationality, race, colour, religion or other differences.

Ten years after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, the Beijing +10 review and appraisal process is now underway at the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women taking place in New York. This forum provides our Region with an opportunity to identify achievements, challenges and gaps in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action so that we can work towards the promotion of gender equity and social justice in the Community, the wider Caribbean and indeed, the international arena.

The integration movement in our Region owes much to the persistent struggle by Caribbean women. Through their efforts women have been able to influence the course of history from the formidable resistance to slavery, through to the fight for universal adult suffrage and ultimately to placing the problem of their unequal role and the need for actions and strategies to promote equality, on the agenda of the international community.

With the pioneering assistance, hard work and dedication of previous generations of women, who have fought for rights, representation, justice and empowerment, Caribbean women today continue to perform with distinction in various fields of endeavour.

We recall, for example, the remarkable success of Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell, Tonique William-Darling and Debbie Ferguson of The Bahamas, and others in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In the soon to be inaugurated Caribbean Court of Justice, the Honourable Justice Désirée Bernard, O.R., C.C.H., LLB., of the Guyana judiciary, has been appointed as one of the six Judge-designates to the regional judicial tribunal. In the Regional education system, females continue to perform admirably, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels and in the process are providing for themselves a secure base for social and economic advancement.

Caribbean Community governments, as a deliberate strategy, have promoted gender equality through the removal of discriminatory legislation, policy reforms and the institutionalisation of gender at the national level, and the establishment of women’s bureaux and gender focal points. Non-governmental organisations focusing on issues affecting women have also contributed significantly to providing an enabling environment for the pursuit of those changes through sensitization and the spreading of greater knowledge.

Yet, there are still many hurdles to cross. Persistent stereotypical towards women continue to pose a challenge to achieving gender equality. The stresses and vulnerabilities faced by women as a result of HIV/AIDS, the persistent scourge of violence against women, the risks associated with the pursuit of transactional sex and the plague of gender-related poverty are some of the prevalent social issues that negatively impact on the quality of life for women of the Region. Insufficient access to, or control of, economic resources and continuous low levels of participation in decision-making processes, including representation in governments, continue to hamper women’s advancement and in so doing, will have implications for the Community’s development.

The Caribbean Community recognises that gender equality must be a crosscutting element in social and macroeconomic planning, programme development and implementation. As such we will continue to give priority attention to the issue of gender and development in the Region.

The Community has since 1984 been engaged in publicly acknowledging the significant contributions of some distinguished women in the Caribbean through the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women. This Award has to date been granted to seven outstanding women who have made extraordinary and exceptional contributions to the development of the Caribbean Community. As we continue to honour excellence among the women of the Community and in the broader context of the Region’s quest for full and equal mainstreaming of women and their contributions into all areas of Caribbean life, I am pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the Triennial Award for Women, 2005.

As we move ever closer to establishing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy to provide greater opportunities for all our people, may the celebration of International Women’s Day 2005 be marked by more significant progress in enabling women to play their rightful role in the development of our Community.