Outcome BRB_D_2.1

More productive and competitive business ecosystems designed to improve people’s standards of living (MSCDF Outcome 1)

Gender Responsive Budgeting was mainstreamed by Government in 2023 for application in the 2024 budget with “all line ministries providing expenditure estimates that adequately reflect gender priorities and considerations.” This exceeded the target from four (4) Ministries to all twenty-eight (28) ministries and departments of Government, and promises to be the most systematic way to sustain the results and take further action on GEWE and EVAWG. During the first quarter of 2023, the Government issued a Gender Budget Statement identifying priorities for gender mainstreaming and budgeting across several Ministries. In August, the Ministry of Finance set out the Budget Framework Paper 2024 which stated that: “The Government is keenly aware that the implementation of projects, programmes, and policies that are financed by public expenditure has differential impacts on women and men. As such, the Budget will be prepared taking into consideration gender issues and priorities in various sectors and factoring in relevant cost implications in the Budget estimates.” In the guidance issued regarding the preparation of the budget, the Ministry of Finance instructed all Ministries and Departments to “include gender-related statements in their strategic objectives and performance measures”. This milestone follows a pilot project that was undertaken by the Programme with the Government of Grenada using GRB tools and a manual to assess the national budget allocations dedicated to addressing VAWG across four (4) Ministries and Departments. Other development partners, such as the World Bank, were also undertaking activities in support of GRB in Grenada. The separate but complementary work by different partners contributed to this significant outcome which will be sustainable, and it is expected that the strengthening of the NGM and its network including the gender focal points, Gender Equality Commission and National Coordinating System on EVAWG through this Programme will contribute significantly to the effective application of GRB on Grenada.

More productive and competitive business ecosystems designed to improve people’s standards of living (MSCDF Outcome 1)

Under the UN Joint Programme (JP) supported by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS), "Building Effective Resilience for Human Security in the Caribbean Countries: The Imperative of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in a Strengthened Agriculture (and related Agri/Fisheries Small Business) Sector, UN Women has lead the collaboration to deliver an integrated programme aimed at informing and advance developments within the agriculture and fisheries sectors aimed primarily for women and youth towards achieving the following outcomes: Outcome 1: Gender responsive and disaster risk resilient agricultural, fisheries and small business extension services, programmes, and techniques available and accessible to the most marginalized; Outcome 2: Gender responsive social protection, insurance and financial products are available and accessible to marginalized and impoverished groups (specific emphasis will be placed on women headed households with high dependency ratios, women in agriculture (fisherfolk) and unemployed young men); Outcome 3: Increased market access readiness and resilience for smallholder farmers and agriculture related small business; Outcome 4: Community resilience is strengthened through advocacy and community engagement with farmers, fisherfolks and young people to engage in agriculture and the blue economy; Outcome 5: Integration and Mainstreaming of the Human Security Approach. UN Women led the completion of key knowledge products and supported dialogue through strategic forums, to inform decision makers, and programme planners and beneficiaries, of critical considerations aimed at increasing awareness and transformational development towards a greater understanding of how gender equality and human security impact on women's economic empowerment within this sector and ultimately of the key considerations for enabling greater economic viability, resilience and sustainability of women, girls and youth. Increasing knowledge and access to information and services: How-to-Guide for Women Farmers and Small Businesses Entrepreneurs on Land and Small Business Registration Advocacy tools: The link of Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment & Human Security Toolkits for Parliamentarians and other decision makers hosted on the ParlAmericas website as ParlGender Tools : Structural Adjustment Programmes: Integrating Gender Equality and Human Security and Agricultural Policy: Integrating Gender Equality and Human Security Additonal KPs are under development and will be completed in 2023. In addition, the KPs produced will contribute to the creation of content to inform the creation of digital Help Desks, liking benificaries with greater access to information and providing agricultural extension officers and business coaches with an additional tool by which to engage with small holder farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs and provide them with information, tools and resources in real time, hence increasing their access to information and ultimate uptake of opportunities for business growth and development through new market opportunites and financial stability. In 2022 two programmes were started with the view to increased and sustainable financing for GEWE in the Caribbean. UN Women MCO received funding from the SDG Fund to implement a programme, 'Building Back Equal through Innovative Financing for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment' in the Bahamas and Bermuda and the Government of Canada funded, 'Build Back Equal' programme in Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Due to internal and external delays there have not yet been many activities implemented under this programme however, in July 2022 the MCO hosted a Training for Gender Lens Investing for Fund Managers with the view to increased and sustainable financing for GEWE in the Caribbean. In 2023 additional activities will be implemented in order to satisfy this indicator.

More productive and competitive business ecosystems designed to improve people’s standards of living (MSCDF Outcome 1)

UN Women has been working towards improving the access to finance of women entrepreneurs who historically encounter challenges when trying to procure funds from traditional sources. To this end, within the framework of two of its programmes, the Joint SDG Funded programme, Building Back Equal Through Innovative Financing for Gender Equality and the Global Affairs Canada funded Build Back Equal programme, studies were concluded on the feasibility of financing mechanisms which would benefit women entrepreneurs. These studies were conducted in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The findings of these studies will inform UN Women's activities with a view to creating a more productive and competitive business ecosystem. In addition, within the framework of the Joint SDG Fund programme a blended loan vehicle was created by the Bahamas Development Bank whereby women entrepreneurs were able to access funds at a lo interest rate.