The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has assumed Chair of the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Working Group on Gender for a two-year term which began in January.

The MDB Working Group on Gender comprises senior experts from member institutions who collaborate and exchange knowledge on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

CDB took over the post from the European Investment Bank which handed over the Chair role to the Bank at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Gender Net Meeting in Paris in November 2023.

Other members of the MDB Working Group on Gender include the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, IDB Invest, International Finance Corporation, Islamic Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the World Bank.

As Chair, CDB will organise and regular meetings, facilitate discussion of common interests across MDBs related to gender equality and women’s empowerment in operations, ensure institutional memory for the next chair, and communicate with external stakeholders on the Gender Working Group’s position on relevant issues.

A main feature of the Group is to lead the coordination and support delivery of the biennial MDBs Global Gender Summit. The Global Gender Summit provides a space for experts from development institutions, government officials, and private sector representatives to exchange ideas on good practices, lessons learned, and advances impacting and driving the global gender agenda.

CDB Gender Specialist Farmala Jacobs said, “The Chair position affords the Bank the chance to collaborate closely with the MDBs Working Group members to set priorities and share strategies, methodologies, and resources for addressing gender inequalities that have impeded progress towards the achievement of sustainable development globally and in the Caribbean region.”

CDB Director of Projects, Mrs. Therese Turner-Jones said the role came at a pivotal time, as the Bank confronts volatility in the global political economy and persistent social challenges which threatens progress towards gender equality.

“It also comes at a time when the CDB is renewing its own Gender Equality Framework. So, we are looking forward to advancing innovative solutions to strengthen our approaches to address these challenges,” Mrs. Turner-Jones said.

CDB will be responsible for staging the next Global Gender Summit in Barbados in 2025.