Foreign Aid, the Diaspora, and the Role of Women in Post-Earthquake Haiti

Écrit par Maude Toussaint-Comeau

This paper offers practical perspectives on ways to address interrelated issues of immediate urgencies facing Haiti. More specifically, it discusses the problem with how foreign aid weakens institutions in Haiti, and prescribes ways international assistance should be targeted to help sustainable economic development by contributing to strengthening institutions, promoting good governance, reinforcing the judiciary, and fostering job creation. Next, the paper highlights two groups that play a crucial role in the Haitian economy : Haitians living abroad and women living in Haiti. It points out to ways professionals in the Diaspora leverage their capital (human and physical) to serve Haiti, and assesses the special role, as well as challenges and perspectives of women in rebuilding post-earthquake Haiti.