Women Make Up Majority of PRYME Grant Beneficiaries, Minister Says

By Val Matthias. Updated 2:50 p.m., Monday, April 27, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Women entrepreneurs account for more than half of beneficiaries under the government’s Promoting Youth Micro Enterprises (PRYME) Grant Programme, Minister of the Family and Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities, and Labour, Laverne Gibson‑Velox, revealed at the launch of the Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs Generating Resilient and Inclusive Trade (GRIT) Project.

“To date, women account for 53% of approved beneficiaries, a clear demonstration of our commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment and inclusive growth,” she said, emphasizing the government’s deliberate focus on supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

The PRYME Grant Programme is a government‑funded initiative launched in March 2020 to empower youth and small entrepreneurs.

Gibson‑Velox emphasized that closing the gender gap is not only a matter of equity but a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth. She noted that women continue to face higher unemployment rates than men despite often achieving higher levels of education, and that crises such as COVID‑19, the La Soufrière volcanic eruption, and Hurricane Beryl have disproportionately devastated women‑dominated sectors. 

The Minister said the PRYME initiative, alongside international partnerships, has been vital in helping women‑led businesses recover and grow. She pointed to projects funded by Taiwan, UN Women, UNFPA, and Global Affairs Canada as critical in building resilience and expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs. 

The newly launched GRIT Project, a four‑year partnership with Global Affairs Canada, was described as arriving at a pivotal moment to deepen national commitment to inclusive trade. Gibson‑Velox urged stakeholders to embed women’s empowerment into long‑term planning, warning that without deliberate action, women will remain disproportionately vulnerable to future crises.

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