CDB President Daniel Best

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has issued a firm and urgent call to intensify efforts toward achieving gender equality, even as global conditions become increasingly challenging.


Against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, worsening climate crises, and declining trust in global institutions, CDB President Daniel Best warned of a quiet but unmistakable regression in gender equality gains.


“In many parts of the world, women and girls are being pushed to the margins losing their rights, their access to opportunities, and too often, their hope,” he said. “At the same time, men and boys are growing up in systems that reinforce harmful gender norms, contribute to underachievement in education, and fail to support the goal of gender equality.” 


President Best delivered these remarks at the opening of the 2025 Global Gender Summit, hosted recently by CDB in Bridgetown, Barbados. Emphasising the urgency of collective action, he stated, “The global political economy is shifting, and not gently. While in these moments the instinct may be to turn inward, I say this with absolute clarity: this is not the time to retreat. This is the time to reinvest intentionally, strategically, and inclusively.”


The Summit brought together over 150 participants, including gender experts, global development stakeholders, thought leaders, and representatives from the public and private sectors.


The event served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, aimed at developing innovative action plans to address critical challenges and seize opportunities to shape the global gender equality and inclusion agenda.