Caribbean feminists have been instrumental in shaping global women’s rights norms, but the states of the region, which do comparatively well in some areas of gender equality, engage with these norms in rather limited ways. To better understand this global-regional relationship, this article introduces the concept of norm translation. It first traces broad global and regional dynamics of norm development regarding women’s rights. Then it analyses the level of engagement of Caribbean states with the CEDAW Convention as one core mechanism of the global framework. This overview is followed by a detailed reading of the constructive dialogue between one Caribbean state—Barbados—and the CEDAW Committee. In conclusion, the article discusses the patterns of norm translation it identifies and proposes more substantive forms of transnational norm translation work.
