Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Interview with Colette Lespinasse, Coordinator of the Haitian NGO Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés (GARR) (Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees)

More and more Haitian women leave their country in search of a better life, particularly in the Dominican Republic. Many of these women migrate on their own. Have the funds that they have sent to their family helped in the development of the poorest country in the Americas? Have roles changed in Haitian homes? Colette Lespinasse looks into the feminization of the actual Haitian migration just a few weeks before general elections are held in Haiti.


INSTRAW: Historically, Haiti has always been a land of migrations. How has the profile of the migrant evolved? At present, how many Haitian men and Haitian women live and work abroad?

At present, it is estimated that more than 2 million Haitians live abroad. The greater part of the diaspora, approximately one million persons are in the United States. The second most important destination is the Dominican Republic where it is estimated that between 700 to 800.000 Haitians live today. The remaining of the diaspora is distributed between Canada, the Antilles, France and the rest of the world.

In the beginning, it was mostly farmers who migrated to the Dominican Republic. In the decade of the 50’s and the beginning of the 60’s, Haitian professionals began to escape from the Duvalier dictatorship and sought refuge in the United States, Canada and other French-speaking countries in Africa. This diversification process was pursued to the point that migration affected henceforth all levels of the Haitian population, the upper, middle class and popular neighborhoods as well. For most of the Haitian population, migration became the way out of extreme poverty, a difficult economic situation, insecurity and political instability.


INSTRAW: At the international level many women are now migrating on their own, while before they did so in the company of men. Are Haitian migrant women following the same trend?

Absolutely, it is observed that the migration of women to the Dominican Republic, for example, grows in number. Initially, Haitian women migrated to join their families. Twenty or thirty years ago, it was mostly men who migrated to the neighbouring country to work as sugar cane cutters. Sometimes there were women but most of them came with a man.

On the other hand, besides the reunification of families, we see that now more and more Haitian migrant women go into the Dominican labour market on their own, and neither accompanied nor searching for men. Today they work in the agricultural sector, for example as gatherers, in the domestic sector in Dominican homes, and mainly in the informal sector as vendors.

Contrary to men, it is also noted that these Haitian women make great efforts to maintain their relationship with family that remains in Haiti. In addition, there is the phenomenon of the single-parent family in Haiti. More than 50% of families in Haiti have women as heads of households, who must face alone the needs of the family. Therefore, there is a considerable social burden on their shoulders.


INSTRAW: Has the evolution of the distribution of economic responsibilities caused by migration resulted in a change in the distribution of domestic roles between women and men in Haitian homes?

No, neither the tasks in homes nor society’s perception have changed. Even women’s perception of themselves remains unchanged. A survey carried out in collaboration with a women’s NGO in Dominican Republic called « Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas » (MUDHA) showed that repatriated women whose husbands had migrated still considered them as heads of households even if they left for 9 months and returned for just 15 days.

The neighbourhood also considered them as such. And when the husband returned after being absent for a year, he automatically became again the head of the household even if it was the woman who provided everything during his absence. It’s the society; it has not changed, even if women undertake many more responsibilities.

INSTRAW: This large diaspora that works abroad sends money to the families that remain in Haiti; is this continuous transfer of funds, acting as a lifeline, that keeps afloat the economy of what is known as the poorest country in the Americas?

It is, in effect, the transfer of these sums of money that helps numerous Haitian families to survive. At present, the funds sent by migrants constitute for Haiti the main source of currency. It has increased considerably during the last years, with the total global amount fluctuating between 800 million and 1 billion US$ for the year 2004. Another important indicator of this phenomenon in Haiti is the proliferation of agencies specializing in the transfer of international currencies who try to capture the flow of money.

Nevertheless, even if these funds are essentially used for housing, for children’s education and for food for the families who receive the money, the real repercussions on the macro economy of the country are not felt. In effect, there is not one organization that could propose projects to contribute to an economic set off in Haiti through the use of its funds.


INSTRAW: Could it be stated that these transfers of funds, besides improving the wellbeing of certain people, do not mean a lasting progress in terms of human development for the whole of the Haitian population?

Certainly for some families evidently there is improvement; however, this causes gaps in families of certain communities who have access to these funds and in those that do not have access. Also, this causes a change in attitude and in food regimes, especially amongst young people who do not have access to these funds.

INSTRAW: In a few more weeks, Haitian voters will be called to the ballot boxes to elect their President of the Republic after almost two years with a transitional government. Of the thirty candidates in contention, there is only one woman candidate. Does this reflect the weak participation of Haitian women in the political life of their country?

That depends on the level in which you find yourself. In terms of participation in the electorate, the last elections proved that there is a real improvement. On the other hand, actually there is only one woman amongst the 37 candidates to the presidency. I believe that it’s symptomatic of the Haitian reality where the space for decisions in general and the political space particularly are controlled by men. Within the Government, even when there is a Ministry on the Condition of Women and Women’s Rights, one does not feel that this is translated into the decisions that are taken.

However, in reference to municipal and legislative elections, women candidates have made efforts to regroup and network, either through the political party to which they belong, with the objective of building up, providing mutual assistance, and also in searching for resources for the electoral campaign.

INSTRAW: How do you see the organization of these elections which have been postponed several times? Will it be a positive step towards the improvement of the wellbeing of the Haitian population and in particular the wellbeing of women?

These elections could contribute greatly to help us out of the political instability in which we find ourselves, but they may throw us into more political turbulence. These elections are of capital importance. The stakes are extremely important. As of this moment, many people are ready to vote, but they are skeptical in relation to the organization of the elections. There are many uncertainties at the logistic, the organizational and the security level as well.

If these two parameters are brought under control, if everything is well organized, if the role of every person is respected and if the people feel that the environment is secure, I believe that many Haitians will vote. If the opposite happens, there is a risk that there will be a high level of abstention.

Interview made by Laurent Duvillier. To have access to the full interview, click on the following link:
http://www.un-instraw.org/revista/index.php?lang=en&display=interviews&id=1027