This forum was organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC/CEPAL), together with The Consortium Universities Caribbean, the Institute for Gender and Development Studies of the University of the West Indies, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), in collaboration with El Colegio de Mexico (COLMEX), the Global Alliance for Care and the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).

The Caribbean Academic Forum is part of the preparatory process for the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, scheduled to take place on the 12th to 15th of August 2025, in Mexico City, whose central theme will be “transformations in the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental spheres to promote a care society and gender equality.”

It provided inputs and informed the XVI Regional Conference on Women and provided a space for regional exchange and dialogue to facilitate collaboration among academic, political, and civil society representatives in developing policies on care for gender equality.

The Forum explored the potential of advancing the care society while considering cultural diversity in Caribbean and Latin American countries. It also addressed the intersections between care, climate and health for gender equality. It featured policy proposals from experts focusing on gender equality, social development, climate, cultural studies, science, and innovation.