Caribbean Studies

Caribbean Feminist
Thoughts

Jewel Lewis, Annae Campbell, Kaheliya White, Ariel Carter, Diante Nash
 Objectives
Introductionto Caribbean
Feminist Thoughts
Movement

Caribbean Feminist thought

on Development

Theories of gender

Movements relevant to the

Caribbean Feminist
Thoughts

How it has affected the

Caribbean Diaspora,
Economical and Socially
Caribbean Feminist Thoughts
 The feminist movement in the
Caribbean has its roots in the
struggles against slavery and
colonialism in the 19th and
early 20th centuries. The
Caribbean feminist movement
emerged in the 1950s and 1960s
as women began to challenge
patriarchal and colonialist
systems that limited their
social, economic, and political
power.
Cont.
 The movement has been influential in shaping
public discourse and policy around women's
issues in the Caribbean and continues to
advocate for social and political change.

 One of the early Caribbean feminist thinkers

was Una Marson, a Jamaican feminist, writer,
and journalist who used her writing to advocate
for women's rights and equality.
Cont.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Caribbean feminist
scholars like Barbara Bailey and Peggy
Antrobus began to examine the ways in which
Caribbean women's experiences were shaped
by colonialism and slavery. "Feminist Thought
and Activism in the Caribbean," by Joycelin
Massiah, published in 2013.

Today, Caribbean feminist thought continues to

evolve and expand, with scholars and activists
working to address issues like gender-based
violence, reproductive rights, and economic
inequality.
Cont.
The following are some of
the key themes and issues in
Caribbean feminist thought:

 Gender and Power

 Intersectionality

 Women’s Empowerment
Caribbean feminist thoughts on development

 The Caribbean feminist development

perspective is based on the recognition that
development is about addressing systemic
inequalities and power imbalances,
particularly those based on gender, race, class,
and other forms of oppression.
Cont.
 Patricia Mohammed's "Underdevelopment
and the Development of Law: Corporations
and Law in Jamaica" is a seminal text in
Caribbean feminist development thought.
Mohammed's book criticizes the dominant
neoliberal development approach, which
prioritizes the interests of transnational
corporations over the needs of local
communities.
Cont.

 Peggy Antrobus, whose work has focused on the

intersections of gender, race, and class in
development, is another key figure in Caribbean
feminist development thought. Antrobus argues
in her book "The Global Women's Movement:
Origins, Issues, and Strategies" that mainstream
development approaches have historically
ignored women's contributions to development
and have failed to address how gender inequality
intersects with other forms of oppression.
Cont.
 Caribbean feminist development thought
emphasizes the importance of including
marginalized groups' perspectives and
needs in development planning and
implementation. It advocates for a more
equitable and inclusive development
approach that addresses the root causes of
inequality and oppression.
Movement relevant to Caribbean feminist thoughts

 There have been important feminist movements and

initiatives in the Caribbean that contributed to feminist
thought development in the region.

 Women's NGOs in the Caribbean work to advocate for policy

change and provide services on issues such as gender-based
violence, reproductive health, and economic empowerment.

 Caribbean universities offer Women's Studies programs that

provide an interdisciplinary approach to studying gender
issues, including feminist theory, women's history, and gender
and development.
Cont.
 The Caribbean Women's Health
Movement works to promote
women's health and rights,
including access to healthcare and
reproductive rights, and advocates
for policies that address social and
economic factors that impact
women's health.
 #LifeinLeggings is a grassroots
movement that emerged in the
Caribbean in 2016 and focuses on
ending gender-based violence using
social media and community
organizing to raise awareness and
advocate for policy change.
Theories of gender

 The various theories on gender in the

Caribbean highlight the importance of
understanding the region's unique
historical and cultural contexts and
recognizing the intersectionality of gender
with other forms of oppression. These
perspectives have been shaped by
Caribbean scholarship and activism as well
as broader movements in feminist, queer,
and antiracist theory.
Cont.
 Creole Feminism: theory focused on the
experiences of Caribbean women in colonial
and postcolonial contexts; argues gender
oppression is intertwined with other forms of
oppression; key works include "From Chattel to
Wage Labor: Women and the Re-Formation of
Family in Jamaica" by Lucille Mathurin Mair
and "Gender and Empire: The Twentieth
Century in the Caribbean and Latin America"
edited by Mary Chamberlain and Annick
Masselot.
Cont.  Caribbean Queer Theory: perspective
emerged in the early 2000s, focuses on
the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals
in the Caribbean; argues colonialism
and heteronormativity contributed to
marginalization and erasure of queer
Caribbean identities; key works include
"Queer Returns: Essays on
Multiculturalism, Diaspora, and LGBT
Studies" edited by Rinaldo Walcott and
"Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical
Interventions in Theory, Politics, and
Literature" edited by Qwo-Li Driskill,
Chris Finley, Brian Joseph Gilley, and
Scott Lauria Morgensen.
Cont.
 Black Feminism: not unique to the Caribbean,
but influential in the region; argues experiences of
Black women are often overlooked or
marginalized in feminist and antiracist
movements; calls for a more intersectional
approach to address multiple forms of oppression
that Black women face; key works include "Black
Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness,
and the Politics of Empowerment" by Patricia
Hill Collins and "Sister Outsider: Essays and
Speeches" by Audre Lorde.
Caribbean Feminist thoughts impact on
the diaspora in term of economic and
social development
 Cultural Preservation - Caribbean feminist thought has
also emphasized the importance of preserving cultural
heritage and traditions, particularly those of marginalized
groups such as women and Afro-Caribbeans. This has led
to initiatives such as the Caribbean Cultural Center
African Diaspora Institute, which seeks to promote and
preserve Caribbean and African diasporic culture through
education, advocacy, and community engagement. Cultural
preservation can help to strengthen a sense of community
and identity, and can also lead to economic benefits such as
increased tourism (Caribbean Journal, 2019).
 Economically

Economic Empowerment - Caribbean

feminist thought has emphasized the
importance of economic empowerment
for women in the Caribbean and
beyond. This has resulted in initiatives
such as the Caribbean Women's
Entrepreneurship Network, which
offers assistance and resources to
female entrepreneurs in the region. The
network has also grown to include
members of the diaspora, providing a
platform for networking and
collaboration. Economic empowerment
has been shown to increase social
mobility, access to education and
healthcare, and overall well-being in
women (World Bank, 2012).