Director of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at The University of the West Indies, professor Barbara Bailey. - Contributed

Jamaican Professor Barbara Bailey, director of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, has been selected as the recipient of the ninth CARICOM Triennial Award for Women, 2008.

The award was developed in 1983, as a way of recognising Caribbean women who have contributed to socio-economic development on different global levels.

As a global community server, Professor Bailey was appointed as representative to the meeting of the Committee of Experts on Violence of the Inter-American Commission of Women, Organisation of American States in Argentina, last July.

Educator and advocate

Born in Jamaica, Bailey is an educator and advocates on behalf of gender equality in the Caribbean and the world. She accomplishes this through lecturing and researching at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

Considered a religious woman, she aimed to have her advocacy skills be of use to the Church on national and international levels.

In 2003, she became professor of gender and education and since 1995, has served as university director of the Regional Coordinating Unit of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at UWI.

Education

Educated at UWI, she earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in botany and zoology, and medical Microbiology. She also completed her master's degree and PhD in education and has been a part of UWI for 28 years.

As a researcher and writer, the majority of her work focuses on gender and educational issues.

In 2007, she was given the Principal's Research Award for the research project attracting the most research funds.

The professor received her award at the opening ceremony of the 29th meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Antigua and Barbuda on July 1.