Women - Haiti Observer Blog

Haitian women make up over half of the population, and arguably form the backbone of the Haitian economy. A graphical, visual, and metaphorical illustration of this can be witnessed daily in Haiti as women, wearing toks on their heads, carry heavy loads including water, food, market goods and even construction material around for miles in areas such as Port-au-Prince, Cabaret, The Central Plateau, Gonaives and Cap Haitien. All to earn an average wage of just $1 - $2 a day in a struggling economy.

Nevertheless it is clear that women are undervalued and treated as lower-class citizens compared with men. Carrying water using toks is still considered 'woman's work' for example, and they routinely face issues such as wage discrimination.

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