[3] Women in Trinidad and Tobago excel in various industries and occupations, including micro-enterprise owners, "lawyers, judges, politicians, civil servants, journalists, and calypsonians."

"[3] By participating in Trinidad and Tobago's version of the Carnival, Trinidadian and Tobagonian women demonstrate their "assertive sexuality."

Baptiste asserts that historical views of race and colonialism impact Trinidadian culture in such a way that are often excluded from Western feminist studies.

Many public spaces display African imagery, primarily from Nigeria and Ghana because these nations are still Trinidad and Tobago's closest political allies and cultural beacons.

These social spaces provide an outlet in the face of a country struggling with increasing crime rates against women.

[7] According to the 2012 National Gender Policy, despite high levels of education and employment, women are still the primary care-givers in the society with the majority of the responsibility for raising children, performing housework, taking care of the sick, the aging and elderly, and the disabled, and managing many of community-based organizations.

[9] In the private sector, it appears that female workers, regardless of their position along the wage distribution, face a similar degree of discrimination.

[12] According to the National Council of State Administration Secretaries Research Corporation, there are six key factors that influence this wage gap: occupation, human capital, work experience, career interruption, motherhood and industry sector.

[13] Even with these in mind, Mahabir & Ramrattan assert that discrimination based on sex is apparent when critically examining similar scenarios affecting both men and women.

The greatest disparity comes from the fact that married women or those in common law marriages still earn disproportiante wages compared to men in the same scenario.

This is generally thought to be due to a combination of a strong patriarchal "old boys" network which favors each other regarding employment and wages, and a historical and cultural background that does not place as much value on women's work as it does men's.

The surviving common-law spouse is entitled to benefit from the estate of the deceased in the following ways:[20] As of June 2017, the legal age of marriage in Trinidad and Tobago is 18.

Gender stereotyping was evident; the mother's moral conduct falling short of an acceptable standard—which was usually higher than for fathers—seemed to influence the courts.

[9] In 2010, Kamla Persad-Bissessar became the first woman in history to become the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

She was born in April 1952 and later went on to attend University of the West Indies, Norwood Technical College (England,) and the Hugh Wooding Law School.

In 2006 she was appointed Leader of the Opposition becoming the first woman to hold that position from Trinidad and Tobago and as of August 2017, continues to serve in this capacity.

Under the Offences Against the Person Act, abortion in Trinidad and Tobago is illegal except in case of threat to the life or health of the pregnant woman.

Aiding in the process of finding someone to perform an abortion or other preliminary steps is also illegal and subject to a two-year prison sentence.

The Catholic Church, the largest denomination in the country with 24% of the population as of the 2011 census,[34] is strongly anti-abortion, and uses its power to stop policy change.

Some Hindu and Muslim leaders also oppose abortion, though others make exceptions to their opposition for incest, rape, and threats to the mother's life.

The vast majority of respondents agreed that voting on abortion law reform by members of the legislature should not be based on personal beliefs.

The Division of Gender Affairs (DGA) in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture, and Gender Affairs operated a 24-hour hotline for victims of rape, spousal abuse, and other violence against women, referring callers to eight shelters for battered women, a rape crisis center, counseling services, support groups, and other assistance.

The heartfelt nature of the negative experiences shared with the hashtag triggered much heated public discussions in reaction to issues raised.

Many of these women do not identify as feminist due to the conflicting nature of Western feminism in relation to the historic patriarchal influence of Islam.

[4] In fact, Baptiste argues that "an uncritical adoption of hegemonic feminist theory leads to the reproduction of somatic norms" within the culture.

Here women can remain devout in their Islamic faith while simultaneously maintaining their social membership to a larger Trinidadian culture.

Calypso scholars point to the fact that the genre "became increasingly and almost exclusively a forum for the fiercely competing [male] egos".

This was a means of social control over women who saw the male performers of calypso as idea caricatures of men; "the ultimate sweet man" who has sex with anyone woman he wants because he is so desirable.

[41] Smith's final assessment is that "music in Trinidadian context takes a very significant place alongside larger political projects and concerns.

Just like in calypso music, man's domination of women is a cultural experience that socially controls woman's position in bed, in family, and ultimately within Trinidadian society.