Gendering the Debt Crisis: How Unsustainable Debt Impacts Women in the Caribbean

A new analysis from CPDC examines the gendered dimensions of the Caribbean debt crisis, revealing how austerity measures and reduced social spending disproportionately affect women and girls across the region.

The study found that cuts to healthcare, education, and social protection — often driven by debt servicing pressures — have widened gender gaps in economic participation and access to services.

“When governments cut social spending to service debt, it is women who bear the heaviest burden through increased unpaid care work and reduced access to public services,” the report concludes.