OP-ED: International Day of Women in Industry – Celebrating how Caribbean women are shaping the future of industry

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On April 21, 2026, the world will for the first time observe the International Day of Women in Industry (IDWI), recognizing women’s contributions to industrial development, and showcasing how their leadership, innovation and resilience are helping to shape economies, advance technologies, and drive the green and digital transition the world urgently needs.

IDWI was proclaimed through a landmark resolution, adopted by the 21 st Session of the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) during the 2025 Global Industry Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This new international day is especially significant for the Caribbean. Across the region, women are leading transformation in manufacturing, renewable energy, digital services, agro-processing, creative industries and emerging technologies. Yet their visibility often remains far too limited. This year’s observance offers an opportunity not just to celebrate these achievements, but to shine a spotlight on all the diverse accomplishments and solutions currently being led by women.

To mark the first IDWI, the UNIDO Headquarters in Vienna, Austria will place women at the forefront of industrial transformation, including AI, the green and digital transition, and the future of work. High-level policymakers, private sector leaders and partners will gather to showcase policies, partnerships and innovations that accelerate gender responsive industrial transformation. The programme will highlight the data gaps that obscure women’s industrial contributions and explore how sex disaggregated statistics and AI-driven insights can guide better policymaking.

For Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like those in the Caribbean, these discussions resonate deeply. Caribbean economies face unique vulnerabilities from climate change to limited economies of scale that demand innovation, competitiveness and resilience. Caribbean women are already pioneering solutions in several areas, revealing a broader pattern: when women are empowered, industries grow more inclusive, more dynamic and more future ready. However, persistent gaps remain. Women still encounter unequal access to finance, lower rates of participation in STEM fields, limited representation in industrial leadership roles, and social norms that undervalue industrial careers for women. The International Day of Women in Industry seeks to bring these issues to the forefront, at the global, regional and national levels, encouraging countries to organize events, dialogues, exhibitions, and campaigns that raise awareness and promote solutions.

The UNIDO-Barbados Global SIDS Hub for Sustainable Development is proud to support this effort across CARICOM. UNIDO’s work with governments, institutions and the private sector has demonstrated that when women and girls have access to training, resources and opportunities, they not only thrive, but they also elevate
entire industries. This is why visibility matters.

Through global advocacy, UNIDO will amplify stories of women transforming industries across the world. Here in the Caribbean, we will highlight women whose work in manufacturing, digital innovation, climate resilience, engineering, and entrepreneurship is shaping a stronger regional industrial future.

Celebrating women is important, but celebration alone is not enough. The inaugural International Day of Women in Industry must galvanize concrete commitments: more investment in women-owned industrial enterprises; stronger pathways for girls and women in STEM; better data to inform industrial policy; and enabling workplace and
financing environments that allow women to ascend to leadership roles across industrial value chains. These are critical steps toward building competitive, sustainable and inclusive Caribbean economies.

April 21, therefore, is not only a time to celebrate the women shaping industry, it is also a day to recognize that the future of industry, regionally and globally, depends on ensuring full and equal participation for all. The Caribbean has the talent, the vision and the drive. What we need now is commitment.

The International Day of Women in Industry is a call to action. Let’s answer it!

Stein R. Hansen is Director, UNIDO-Barbados Global SIDS Hub for Sustainable Development, and UNIDO Representative, Barbados and the Caribbean Community Simon Springett is United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.