In 1934, as the U.S. occupation of Haiti ended, the feminist organization La Ligue Feminine d’Action Sociale (LFAS) was formed. LFAS knew gender parity played a central role in the country’s socioeconomic success, so they went to work fighting for civil rights, equal access to education, and universal suffrage. In 1950 they organized the First National Congress of Haitian Women, and established voting rights for all women. Now, under Haiti’s constitution, women are guaranteed equal rights in the cultural, economic, and political spheres. Women’s movements continued to hold the government to account throughout the next several decades until the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, which among all the devastation saw the defunding of women’s organizations and ultimately the regression of gender equality. With its deeply entrenched patriarchal society, only 2.5 percent of women make up the Haitian parliament, and high rates of gender-based discrimination and violence plague the country. Fortunately, feminism’s roots run just as deep in Hatian society, and women continue to lead the fight for their own protection and civil rights.
The widespread issue of discrimination and abuse has also been prevalent in women’s sports in Haiti. In 2020, FIFA’s Ethics Committee issued a lifetime ban on the president of the Haitian Football Federation after multiple allegations of abuse against members of the women’s U-20 team. FIFA has since unveiled initiatives in the region to combat player abuse and build youth football academies. Despite these systemic obstacles, the women’s national football team is one of the top teams in the Caribbean region, and have competed in five CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football ) Women’s Gold Cup Tournaments.
Meet and support global leaders creating change in Haiti:
Marie Soudine Rivette
How does Haiti compare to other countries?
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Women in Leadership
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT AS OF 2020
3%
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY POSITIONS AS OF 2020
Unknown
Has a Woman Ever Been Head of State or Head of Government?
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot, 1990-1991
Claudette Werleigh, 1995-1996
Michèle Pierre-Louis, 2008-2009
Florence Duperval Guillaume, 2014-2015
HAS A WOMAN EVER BEEN SPORTS MINISTER?
Unknown
Title IX Timeline
1804
The Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on January 1, ending the 13-year long Haitian Revolution and making Haiti the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
1950
Women gained the right to vote (full suffrage).
1972
Mireille Joseph became the first woman to represent Haiti in the Olympics.
1980
Haiti signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
1981
Haiti ratified CEDAW.
1990
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot became the first female acting President of Haiti.
2008
Nephtalie Jean-Louis became the first woman to represent Haiti in the Paralympics.
Women in the olympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
4
-
3
-
0
-
7
-
4
-
4
Women in the Paralympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
1
-
1
-
20
Elite Sports Participation
First Year Women Participated In The Olympics
1972
Year Women’s Participation In Olympics Was Equal To Men’s
1984
First Time A Woman Won An Olympic Medal
The first woman could be you!
First Year Women Participated In The Paralympics
2008
Year Women’s Participation In Paralympics Was Equal To Men’s
2008
First Time A Woman Won A Paralympic Medal
The first woman could be you!
FIFA
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1991
Pay Gap Comparison
Unpaid as of 2022
Gender Initiatives
FIFA is committed to the growth and development of women’s football around the globe.
For More Information
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
National Women’s Team?
No
