Women entrepreneurs operating micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the informal sector make a significant contribution in African economies. Most of their earned income from selling and trading goods and services is spent caring for their families. Their contributions to the economy are often invisible, undervalued, and not reflected in the national system of accounts. Women in MSMEs also work hard to overcome gender-based discrimination in the labor market and the financial sector. The realities faced by women in MSMEs in the six articles provide insights into their achievements and challenges, as well as opportunities for their empowerment. They also highlight the strategic roles that women play and their survival strategies. The introductory article is based on a literature review, and it highlights global commitments to women's human rights, as well as regional agreements to promote gender equality and inclusive growth. This framework provides a context for understanding and analyzing the common experiences shared by women microentrepreneurs. It also highlights opportunities for restructuring national economies, laws, policies, and programs to create a more enabling environment for inclusive economic growth and development, especially for women in MSMEs in the informal sector.

This paper shares personal and professional experiences of mainstreaming gender in climate change and disaster risk management in the Caribbean. It is based on an invited keynote presentation at the International Seminar organised by the Gender Responsive Resilience and Intersectionality in Policies and Practices (GRRIPP) Latin America and Caribbean project and FLACSO Cuba and was held in Varadero, Cuba from July 27-29, 2023. The paper uses an autoethnographic methodology of self-reflection of personal memories, work experiences from a 25-year career in teaching, research, and publications to promote gender mainstreaming in climate change and disaster risk management, and secondary sources. These provide insights on factors that shaped my passionate interests in the intersections between gender, climate change and disaster risk management Recommendations seek to strengthen Caribbean partnerships to mitigate climate change and reduce disaster risks in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Objectives:To determine changes to income and livelihood, food consumption, and hunger due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in three Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean: Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted in July 2020. Participants were selected using telephone directories and lists of mobile numbers. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Participants rated the impact of COVID-19 on their livelihoods and the Adult Food Security Module was used to assess hunger. To examine how these outcomes varied by sociodemographic group, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) reported.Results:The analysis included 880 participants. Of these, 40% (344/871) reported some form of hunger, with 18% (153/871) classed as moderate-to-severe hunger. Almost three quarters of households reported some impact on their livelihood (640/880), with 28% (243/880) classifying this impact as moderate to severe. Women were 60% more likely to report that their livelihoods were moderately to severely affected by COVID-19 (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.09, 2.31) and 70% more likely to experience moderate-to-severe hunger (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.37, 2.09). The effects of COVID-19 on livelihood and hunger were greater in those with secondary-school and primary-school education compared with tertiary education.Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable segments of the population. Social protection programmes are a key component of efforts to alleviate the pandemic's consequences; however, equitable access must be ensured.

The Caribbean is experiencing a worsening epidemic of obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and it has the worst rates of premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the region of the Americas. Creating enabling environments to improve dietary diversity would help reduce obesity and diet-related NCDs. The Improving Household Nutrition Security and Public Health in the CARICOM project aimed to increase dietary diversity in the Caribbean, and to determine and implement effective, gender-sensitive interventions to improve food sovereignty, household food security, and nutrition in CARICOM states. Primary quantitative and qualitative research, scoping reviews, stakeholder engagement, implementation of interventions and dissemination activities were undertaken. This paper describes the overall project design and implementation, discusses challenges and limitations, and presents core achievements to inform further work in Small Island Developing States throughout CARICOM to advance the nutrition agenda in the Caribbean. The results of the project’s research activities are presented in other papers published in this special issue on nutrition security in CARICOM states.

From the post-emancipation period to the present-day, migration from and frequently return to the Caribbean has been a defining feature of the region and has shaped its economic and social structur...

Many Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean experience a triple burden of malnutrition with high rates of obesity, undernutrition in children, and iron deficiency anemia in women of reproductive age, driven by an inadequate, unhealthy diet. This study aimed to map the complex dynamic systems driving unhealthy eating and to identify potential points for intervention in three dissimilar countries. Stakeholders from across the food system in Jamaica (n = 16), St. Kitts and Nevis (n = 19), and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (n = 6) engaged with researchers in two group model building (GMB) workshops in 2018. Participants described and mapped the system driving unhealthy eating, identified points of intervention, and created a prioritized list of intervention strategies. Stakeholders were also interviewed before and after the workshops to provide their perspectives on the utility of this approach. Stakeholders described similar underlying systems driving unhealthy eating across the three countries, with a series of dominant feedback loops identified at multiple levels. Participants emphasized the importance of the relative availability and price of unhealthy foods, shifting cultural norms on eating, and aggressive advertising from the food industry as dominant drivers. They saw opportunities for governments to better regulate advertising, disincentivize unhealthy food options, and bolster the local agricultural sector to promote food sovereignty. They also identified the need for better coordinated policy making across multiple sectors at national and regional levels to deliver more integrated approaches to improving nutrition. GMB proved to be an effective tool for engaging a highly diverse group of stakeholders in better collective understanding of a complex problem and potential interventions.

The chapter discusses the history and context of urban renewal in Jamaica and shares the country’s integrated model for urban renewal, as well as the lessons learned from over two decades of implementation. As the urban planning landscape evolves there is a call to move in new directions, incorporating concepts which embody the development of human capital. One call is to re-position urban renewal as a public health tool to reduce crime and violence, communicable and non-communicable diseases, especially for the urban poor and urban youth who share a greater burden of Jamaica’s status as a Low/Middle Income Country (LMIC) and Small Island Developing State (SIDS). The call for the paradigm shift from gender-blind to gender-sensitive urban planning is expected to promote policy coherence between commitments to gender mainstreaming and gender equality and urban development modalities. There is also the need for a new governance framework to support the active participation of the average resident in the decision making process for land use management and other aspects of urban renewal to meet the goals of the New Urban Agenda and to realize Vision 2030 Jamaica, making “Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business�?.

The prevalence of HIV is exceptionally high among Jamaican men who have sex with men (JMSM) compared to similar populations within the Caribbean. A noticeable gap in the literature is the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and sexual assault on the state of the epidemic among this population. This study focused on JMSM’s experiences with CSA and sexual assault and how these domains relate to HIV prevention. We analyzed qualitative data from 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 10 men. Common themes emerged that highlight the patterns and nature of the abuse, the characteristics of the perpetrators, and the ways in which participants engage agency and resiliency as a basis to reclaim personal power. These findings serve as a catalyst for understanding how experiences with CSA and sexual assault affect the lives of young JMSM; how those experiences may impact attitudes and behaviors regarding HIV testing, engagement in care; and have implications for shaping legal policy, clinical, and mental health services for JMSM survivors.

Background:Domestic violence (DV) is recognized as a priority in maternity care. Data on the prevalence and profile of women experiencing DV during pregnancy are limited in Jamaica. This baseline study has identified the prevalence and provided a profile of pregnant women who are at risk for DV in Kingston, Jamaica.Method:A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in 2014. A total of 185 randomly selected pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic completed a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The study was approved by our local ethical boards and all ethical considerations were adhered to.Results:The study identified a prevalence rate of 41% (n= 75/182) which includes all types of DV during pregnancy. Those at risk were 23–29 years old, single (66.6%), employed (44%), had primary education (66.6%), and had unplanned pregnancies (65%). The majority of respondents (98%) were willing to disclose DV, but the clinic does not provide them the opportunity. Only 11% (8/75) reported that they sought professional help.Conclusion:This study adds to the body of knowledge on the prevalence of DV and notes that it is high among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic. The findings can guide the development of a DV screening protocol to identify and treat pregnant women and train health practitioners in Jamaica.

Purpose - This study examines the problem of unequal access to the Caribbean ICT industry on the part of women, and considers causes, consequences and possible solutions. The latter includes integrating gender perspectives in ICT policies and programmes to increase access for all to education and employment opportunities for national development. Methodology/approach - Mixed Methods research techniques (questionnaire surveys, elite interviews and focus group discussions) were used to collect data from national stakeholders in Jamaica and St Lucia. Findings - Despite policy commitments to gender equality and the deployment of ICTs to promote development, significant gaps persist between policy and practice. Results show that disadvantages in ICT access for women result in gender differences in sector involvement. Gender socialisation and the resulting discrimination in education and employment undermine commitments to inclusive development. Consequences include untapped opportunities for innovation, efficiency and business along the ICT value chain relating to development. Research limitations - Case studies only represent Anglophone Caribbean and may not reflect all subregional contexts. Practical implications - The paper demonstrates the value of collecting, analysing and using data disaggregated by sex to identify needs of vulnerable groups relating to inclusive development. Social implications - Equitable access to ICTs for women through training, community Internet-access-points, and support to establish/expand Micro Small and Medium-sized Enterprises will enable women to combine paid and unpaid family caregiving work and to participate in the ICT value chain. Originality/value - There is a dearth of gender-based analysis of ICT policymaking in the Caribbean. The paper contributes theoretical, methodological and policy analysis geared towards understanding and promoting inclusive access and gender equality in ICTs for sustainable development in the Caribbean.