Today, the eighth of March, is International Women's Day (IWD), a day dedicated to honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women. This day serves as a reminder that the world needs to prioritise the rights of women and girls as part of its sustainable development agenda.

As we celebrate IWD at CDB, we join the global community to reflect on progress, advocate for change, and honor ordinary and extraordinary women whose words and actions have transformed the world. I want to take a moment to thank all our women—Caribankers who are making significant contributions to the development of the Caribbean Region.

As a development bank, we recognise the critical role that women play in driving economic growth and sustainable development. Women's economic participation and empowerment are not only a matter of human rights, but also crucial for achieving inclusive and equitable economic growth.

Over the past two years, IWD has come at a challenging time in our fight to advance gender equality, as we grapple with multiple crises in the global political economy. Despite some progress, women continue to face persistent barriers to realising their full potential. Across our BMCs, women are underrepresented in leadership positions and face discrimination in access to finance, labour markets, education, and other opportunities. This must be changed. At CDB, we are committed to addressing these challenges and promoting gender equality. We have set ambitious targets to increase the share of our financing that benefits women, and to promote gender equality in our policies and operations.

We are also working with our partners to support women's entrepreneurship, provide access to finance and training, and promote women's leadership and participation in decision-making. We know that investing in the empowerment of women is not only the right thing to do, but also good for business and for the advancement of the Region’s development.

As we celebrate International Women's Day, let us recommit ourselves to advancing gender equality and empowering women. Let us work together to break down barriers, create opportunities, and build a more inclusive and sustainable world for all.

Thank you.