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March 8 is International Women's Day (IWD), and the 2025 theme is “Accelerate Action.” According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, it will take until 2158 to achieve gender parity at the existing rate of progress. In this context, IWD is focusing on the pressing need for “swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality,” as well as “increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.”

There are many ways to do this, of course — economic empowerment, access to the spheres of education, the arts and sport, development of diverse talent, and support of women in areas like STEM and sustainable agriculture. One Caribbean non-governmental organisation (NGO), however, Stand Up for Jamaica (SUFJ), is honing in on one particular area: the systemic barriers that inhibit women's advancement in the region.

In a statement shared on Petchary's Blog, the human rights organisation explained, “International Women’s Day [is] a reminder that the fight for gender equality is far from over. From wage inequality to workplace discrimination and gender-based violence, women continue to face systemic barriers worldwide, including in Jamaica. This day should not be symbolic; it must serve as a call to action for real and lasting change.”

Petchary wholeheartedly agreed, adding, “[W]e can’t keep trotting out the same old clichés about women’s empowerment every year. There are so many brilliant, motivated women in Jamaica and the Caribbean, in many fields of endeavour, who still find their heads hitting the proverbial glass ceiling. Ambitious and bright women still have to endure ‘mansplaining,’ and being talked over and interrupted at meetings by men; Caribbean men are very skilled at this. The patriarchy comes naturally in the Caribbean, and it hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Globally, the SUFJ noted that women continue to be discriminated against through denial of education and/or economic independence, child marriage, domestic violence, and the absence of legal protections.

“Women often have less access to healthcare, leading to higher maternal mortality rates in developing countries,” the statement continued. “In politics and leadership, female representation remains disproportionately low, with women frequently excluded from decision-making spaces. Reproductive rights are under threat in several regions, restricting women’s autonomy over their own bodies. These injustices are not isolated incidents—they are systemic barriers that continue to hinder women’s full participation in society.”

In the workplace, meanwhile, wage inequality “remains a persistent issue,” with women still earning less than their male counterparts for doing the same work. Specific to Jamaica, the SUFJ confirmed that such disparities are happening across various sectors: “Women face barriers to leadership positions, economic opportunities, and workplace equity. The wage gap, gender-based violence, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid labor continue to hinder progress toward full equality.”

UN Women found that as many as 39 percent of Jamaican women have experienced intimate partner violence, while a UNDP Caribbean Human Development report found that 30.4 percent of Caribbean women are afraid of being sexually assaulted.

SUFJ went further: “Many Jamaican women, especially those in low-income communities, struggle with limited access to economic opportunities, support systems, and protections from discrimination and violence. Especially in rural areas, they are on the front lines as communities face the growing impacts of climate change.”

Acknowledging International Women's Day as “a renewed call to action,” SUFJ called for a combination of “grassroots action, solidarity, and collective organizing.” It explained that “women and communities com[ing] together to build networks of support, advocacy, and empowerment [at] the community level are essential to challenging systemic barriers,” and challenged regional governments, businesses, and communities to “actively address inequalities and create policies that ensure fair wages, protection from violence, and equal opportunities for women in all areas of life.”

Petchary summed up the situation this way: “Systemic barriers still exist. We know they do, right here in this region. Moreover, the shadow of gender-based violence looms over us all. […] Women must stand in solidarity, take action and keep fighting for their rights. This is not optional.”