Issues of gender parity in relation to growth and development will come under the spotlight during a distinguished lecture on March 22nd, 2019.

The lecture, one of the signature activities hosted by the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in observance of International Women’s Day during the month of March, will be delivered by Member of Parliament for St. Michael South Central and Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle, on the topic “Growth and Development as if Equity Matters“.

CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank has again partnered with the Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies to present the public lecture which comes off on Friday, March 22nd, 2019 at 7:00p.m. at the Walcott Warner Theatre, The Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination.

Ms. Caddle is an economist, with a special focus on financing for development, macro-fiscal governance, and inequality, social protection and labour. Prior to joining the Cabinet of Barbados, she worked as Governance Specialist with the Caribbean Development Bank, and as Programme Manager with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She was also Programme Specialist, Economic Security and Rights with the then United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

She received a Master’s degree in Economics from the Universidad Católica Santo Domingo in 2002, and has since continued her training in International Economics with the University of Utah, and in Poverty Analysis and Measurement with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.

Ms. Caddle has written and spoken extensively on issues of economic justice, providing advice to governments and international organisations on inclusive growth, macro-fiscal governance and inequality.

In 2005, she also co-founded the Women’s Health Advocacy Network (WHAN), which promotes civil organization on issues such as violence against women, sexual and reproductive rights, patient advocacy, and women’s health. Throughout, her goal is to help make economic and social justice visible, desirable and achievable in the lives of Caribbean people.

Ms. Caddle has been a dancer since age 7 and a teacher in Caribbean movement, and is a songwriter and dedicated carnivalist, also having been a writer and commentator on calypso, soca, dancehall and reggae music. She has lived in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Washington DC and London before returning to Barbados in 2009.