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The future we want: towards a better world
through Sustainable Development Goals
Gia Gaspard Taylor, President, Network of Rural Women Producers Trinidad and Tobago
E
mpowering women in Trinidad and Tobago has
been the main goal of the Network of Rural Women
Producers Trinidad and Tobago (NRWPTT) since it
was launched in 1995. Though there were many trials and
challenges along the way, successes also came as a result
of persistence, hard work and commitment. NRWPTT’s
100-plus members are led by a president and executive.
The many members continue to operate and manage viable
enterprises, thus contributing to the economic improve-
ment of themselves, their communities and the nation
within the last 21 years.
In 1998 the then young network, in partnership with the
Ministry of Agriculture and the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and under the patron-
age of Oma Panday, the wife of the Prime Minister, hosted
the first and only Regional Meeting of the Wives of Heads of
Government/State. At that meeting the wives signed the Port
of Spain Accord which saw the establishment of the Caribbean
Network of Rural Women Producers (CANROP) and which
also took place during the initiation of another regional initia-
tive, the first Caribbean Week of Agriculture. NRWPTT can
therefore justifiably claim to have played a critical role in the
inauguration of two very important initiatives in the develop-
ment of the ‘new’ agriculture in the region.
The United Nations listened to the many civil society
organizations that advocated for and on behalf of a space
for rural women. The 1995 Beijing Conference on Women
decided to give recognition by the General Assembly in its
resolution 62/136 of December 2007. On 15 October 2008,
the first United Nations International Rural Women’s Day
was observed, to recognize the critical role and contribution
of rural women, including indigenous women in advancing
agriculture and rural development, improving food security
and eradicating poverty.
In the years 2007-2008, a decrease in events and activities
of NRWPTT was evident. However, in 2009 the challenge of
hosting an event called the Mango Festival brought new life
to the network. In 2010 the University of the West Indies, the
Tourism Development Company, the Ministry of Agriculture
and IICA all came together to support NRWPTT in hosting
the second Mango Festival. News reaching the international
and regional organizations about the success and inno-
vativeness of this unique event prompted an invitation to
NRWPTT to participate in the Organization of American
States Sustainable Development Conference in Washington.
Another door opened with an invitation to join the delegation
at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
(CSW) annual conference, hosted by UN Women at United
Nations Headquarters in New York. Being the ‘new kid’ on
the block, NRWPTT attempted to attend as many work-
shops as humanly possible including accepting an invitation
from another local civil society organization, the Network of
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) of Trinidad and
Tobago for the Advancement of Women, where the President
is serving as International Affairs Officer. Invitations were also
extended to a Commonwealth Foundation meeting.
At the CSW event, an invitation was extended to the
NRWPTT President and the Trinidad and Tobago Minister of
Gender Affairs at the time, Marlene Coudray. At that meeting,
discussions were held on sustainable development projects
among the various organizations present. NRWPTT’s contri-
bution was based on our Mango Festival and, to our surprise,
the participants chose this among all the other presentations
from the plenary session as the best presentation. The follow-
ing year NRWPTT was invited to attend the Commonwealth
Image: NRWPTT
NRWPTT members receive training in food safety and product development
A B
etter
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orld