Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Democracy also comes with Gender Equity
In her new capacity as elected president of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), setting the right agenda means for Dr. Jacqui Quinn-Leandro to re-adjust the relationship between the concept of liberalism, and women’s struggle.

As much touted issues in these debates, diversity and democracy as concepts and practices vis-à-vis women’s rights have too often been seen as opposing principles.
Thus, discrepancies that have deeply affected the many ways under which women’s anti-discriminatory provisions and laws were defined.
And within this paradigm, the construct of women and gender equity, and provisions in the laws have to be re-assessed in order to revamp matters of development, and the subsequent interpretation of poverty whether at the regional, national or international levels.

“Even though we have made significant strides in women’s representation, there is still discrimination against women where these rights are concerned,” she told the delegates. Building on remarks by the body’s Secretary General Dr. Jose Insulza, that democracy without gender equity is half-baked democracy, Dr. Quinn-Leandro took the idea a step further declaring, “Since women make up more than half of the world population, democracy without gender equity is not yet in the oven.”