Tamara Nicholson

Despite the various socio-economic opportunities that the tourism sector presents for the Jamaican economy, women, especially those living and working within the rural areas have not seen their potential realized; neither will they be able to do so if their status remain undervalued and unrecognized. Socially and economically, the role that rural women play within the tourism sector is profound and unmatched as they serve as the gatekeepers of our cultural identity. Their contribution includes the production and preservation of local, indigenous and authentic goods and services that is vital to the Jamaican brand. However, it is because of the value and identity that these contributions connotates which creates the problem for economic success, visibility and appreciation within the cultural sphere for women when compared to their male counterparts. This paper will seek to explore the unequal power relationship between men and women within the tourism sector, specifically as it regards to labour and employment opportunities in order to highlight and reduce the gender inequalities being faced by women which are a hindrance to the development process.