Saint Lucia

After almost two centuries of controversy between England and France, the British ultimately established ownership of Saint Lucia in 1814. Slavery was abolished two decades later; however, this Caribbean island remained agricultural, chiefly producing bananas, mangos, and avocados. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained its independence and became more urbanized (28 percent). By the 21st century, the chief industry was tourism. Currently, 80 percent of the workforce is employed in services. The island has a per capita income of $10,900 and is ranked 69th on the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) list of countries with Very High Human Development. The island is relatively homogeneous in both ethnicity and religion. More than 82 percent of islanders are black, and more than 67 percent are Roman Catholic. Saint Lucia ranks 66th on the UNDP Gender Empowerment Measure, and the women of Saint Lucia generally enjoy equal rights with males. The government has consistently expressed support for women's rights, and at the national level, the Gender Relations Division has been charged with protecting women's rights.

Domestic violence continues to be of major concern in Saint Lucia. Through the efforts of activists, Saint Lucia passed the Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act in 1995. In 2004, the act was amended to further reduce violence against women by addressing the issues of marital rape, stalking, and sexual harassment and allowing victims of rape and sexual abuse to receive compensation.

The median age of women on the island is 30.8 years. Women have a life expectancy of 79.3 years as compared with 73.8 for males. The fertility rate is 1.8 children per woman. Saint Lucia ranks 134th in the world in infant mortality (13.43 births per 1,000 live births). At 90.6 percent, female literacy is slightly higher than that of males (89.5). Saint Lucia ranks 29th in the world in spending on education; and overall, female Saint Lucians are better educated than males, attending school for at least 14 years and outnumbering males at the tertiary level.

As might be expected in a country that is predominately Roman Catholic, women on the island have only limited control over their reproductive lives. Abortion is illegal except when a mother's physical or mental health is at risk, or in cases of rape or incest.

Women were granted the right to vote in Saint Lucia in 1951, but it was not until 1979 that a female was elected to Parliament. In 2003, a woman was elected to Saint Lucia's highest elected position. Between 1999 and 2005, 55 percent of legislators, senior officials, and managers were female. During that same period, 53 percent of professionals and technical workers were female. In 2007, 18.2 percent of all Parliamentary seats were held by females, and just over 8 percent of cabinet-level officials were female. Despite their majority in such positions, the ratio of estimated female-to-male earned income was only 0.5.