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Gender equality must be prioritized in the Caribbean

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The Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA) joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day and all the women in leadership at the forefront of movements for change towards gender equality, particularly in the Caribbean.

This year’s theme: Women leaders: For an equal future in the world of COVID-19 recognizes the valiant efforts of women in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gender equality must be prioritized in the Caribbean. The burdens of poverty hit women and girls harder. Women are the majority of front-line workers in the current pandemic. Women are most likely the primary caregivers in their families – generally having to do two jobs, paid and unpaid, to keep their families afloat.

We are all aware of the high rate of violence against women in the Caribbean. The rate of girls dropping out of school due to adolescent pregnancy is also far too high.

The Caribbean needs gender equality and CFPA is proud to do the work we do in furthering the cause.

According to Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth (CEO), “There’s no hope for gender equality without empowering women and girls to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. In order for girls to decide their own futures, they have to be properly equipped to avoid the risks of unintended pregnancy. Women must be allowed to control their bodies including how many children they want to have. Ending reproductive injustices is a key step to transforming the lives of women and girls.”

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The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing vulnerabilities of women giving them additional burdens to bear and increasing the likelihood of violence at home. Through it all, they have managed to pull through and carry all of us with them. Women continue to show the world their strength, resilience and dynamism.

Today, we celebrate the courageous women we are honoured to work with women all around the region in the fight for greater sexual and reproductive rights for Caribbean women.

These women work in our clinics, in NGOs, in government, in schools and they are nurses, doctors, teachers, mothers, activists, peer educators, friends and neighbours. Collectively, they help move the Caribbean towards gender equality by supporting CFPA’s efforts to promote and provide sexual and reproductive services to women and girls.

Through the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), we join with Family Planning Associations worldwide in our continued efforts to challenge forces that oppose and obstruct progress towards gender equality for a better world.

Let us continue to proclaim courageously that women’s rights are human rights and, concurrently, sexual and reproductive rights are human rights too! #choosetochallenge

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]