CDB' Marsha Caddle facilitates an informative session with the 2015 CIGAD participants on Integrating Gender Analysis in Caribbean Policy Approaches to Trade, Economic Growth and Equality. Between July 6-31, 2015, approximately 30 participants from across the region received training in gender and development issues at the 2015 Eleventh Caribbean Institute in Gender and Development (CIGAD) Training Programme, being held at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. This was made possible in part by the Caribbean Development Bank, CDB, which contributed a total of USD49,550 towards the total cost of staging the event. “CDB sees gender equality as a strong driver of growth and an important ingredient for prosperity, and we are pleased to be associated with this unique training programme, which builds knowledge of gender equality, and offers an overview and understanding of how the social relations of gender impact on Caribbean development", said Deidre Clarendon, Division Chief, Social Sector. The Caribbean Institute in Gender & Development is the region' premier gender and development training programme, and is now in its 11th year. It is hosted by the Institute for Gender & Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit of the University of the West Indies. Participants are men and women working in the field of social development, and are pulled from across the Caribbean. They go through an intensive four-week training programme at the UWI Cave Hill campus, and then have the option to complete six-weeks of fieldwork in their respective countries, and return to Barbados in September to present their projects. CDB has previously assisted in financing the (CIGAD) Training Programme in 2009, 2011 and 2013, and Ms. Clarendon notes that several of the projects which have previously been completed by the course participants are directly relevant to the work that CDB is doing. “In 2013, research was done on several issues that are directly relevant to gender inequality in the Caribbean, including research on the role that women play in education administration, research done on the role of women in private sector operations and trade - and all of these studies can be used as we seek to integrate gender in the planning stages for our projects", said Ms. Clarendon. The Caribbean Development Bank has identified Gender Equality as a major cross-cutting theme in in 2015-19 Strategic Plan, recognizing that gender inequality is a major threat to development and poverty reduction. The Bank' Gender Policy and Operational Strategy for Gender Equality commits it to work in partnership with stakeholders to undertake gender equality capacity building to enhance skills in gender analysis.