Media Center

Press Release


CIM Works with CARICOM Authorities to Build Awareness and Capacity

  April 27, 2010

The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM/OAS), in partnership with the Department of Social Development and Employment (SEDI), the Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL) and Guyana’s Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security held a workshop on Gender-Responsive Strategic Planning in Georgetown, Guyana, from April 12-14, 2010.

Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the workshop brought together technical personnel from the CARICOM Ministries of Gender and Labor to build awareness and capacity on gender issues in labor processes. This workshop was the first in a series of sub-regional workshops that aim to respond to the following specific needs identified in a recent study: building awareness and skills for gender mainstreaming; identifying approaches to integrate gender perspectives in the Ministries of Labor within the context of the “Decent Work” framework adopted by the ILO; establishing indicators that can be used by the Ministries to monitor progress on gender mainstreaming; and improving inter-sectoral coordination at the national and sub-regional levels.

The CIM workshop coincided with the 19th meeting of the CARICOM Community Council of Ministers for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), and was the occasion for these bodies to participate in a joint meeting that addressed, among other subjects, the decent work agenda with a focus on gender and labor.

For the first time, the CIM was invited to present the results of its workshop during the opening session of the COHSOD meeting, marking an important milestone in the collaboration between the CARICOM Community and the Inter-American System. During this session, the CIM requested the support of Ministers of Labor and National Machineries for the Advancement of Women, with a view to promoting gender mainstreaming in the Ministries of Labor.

Three other workshops will take place throughout this year: one for Central America (El Salvador, May 2010), one for the MERCOSUR region (Asunción, August 2010) and one for the Andean Region (Quito, October 2010).

Reference: E-138/10