This Dominica Country Gender Assessment (CGA), commissioned by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), provides a gender analysis of the economic, social and governance sectors in Dominica. The CGA has been developed through CDB’s partnership with the Ministry of Finance; Ministry ofSocial Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs; the private sector; and civil society in its broadest sense including faith-based organizations. The CGA aims for mutual responsibility and accountability in promoting gender equality and equity. It recognizes that to realize the broad national goals of economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development, gender-based policy-making, planning and service delivery are necessary, and that equal focus must be placed on social development in order to truly complement economic growth and achieve overall development.t also commits the Government to adhering to its national and international obligations to respect, protect and promote human rights.

The CGA gathers and systematizes general statistics, sector data, and qualitative information on gender equality in Dominica; analyzes the links between gender equality and the different life chances of men/boys and women/girls (see Section 4 for the Statistical Gender Profile and Section 5for the Country Gender Profile). What is evident is that gender inequality is a fundamental social construct that is reproduced through culture and socialization. It is expressed in the political, economic and social spheres of Dominican society, and the societal changes that have been taking place in various sectors and at various levels have not completely shaken this principle.