Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
Developing a Policy Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in the Fisheries Sector
PETER A. MURRAY
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat
ABSTRACT
Notwithstanding notable developmental policies and investments across the Caribbean Community during the late 1990’s to the 2010’s, there appears to have been a persistence of gender inequalities and inequities in several areas, including demography, employment, socio-economic status, participation and governance. Boys and men display low educational performance, social deviance, and numerical prevalence in the criminal justice system, while there have been impacts on women as a result of gender-based violence. Additionally, women’s labour force participation is not yet commensurate with educational attainment.
Consistent with their international obligations, CRFM Member States have sought to infuse gender equality commitments into their policy frameworks and instruments. These gender priorities are linked in varying degrees to the relevant treaties and the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP).
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) has been committed to effectively promoting and supporting the developmental objectives of its Member States. An essential component of the institutional enhancement of the CRFM was seen to be the production of a policy to guide comprehensive Gender Equality Mainstreaming into the plans, programmes, projects, and administration of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. A formal CRFM policy on gender equality in the fisheries sector would have been the framework through which gender analysis and planning could be integrated in a coherent manner at all levels of fisheries sector planning and programming to realise the developmental goals of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the Treaty establishing the CRFM. This paper reviews the efforts to bring the fisheries sector up to par with Member States’ gender-related obligations and the notable achievements in that regard.
HOW TO CITE: Murray, P.A., 2026. Developing a Policy Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in the Fisheries Sector Contribution 2.5, p72-81 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=903
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