According to Schwartz (2015) women in Haiti have significantly greater status than their male counterparts and are considered the heads of the family. They are called "poto mitan," the center post and support of the family. Men and women play complementary roles. The men primarily do the farming and heavy work such as tilling. On the other hand, women are responsible for selling agricultural produce, and assist with tasks such as weeding, harvesting. He further reports "women almost completely dominate the itinerate trade on which Haiti’s domestic economy depends; they dominate the markets and the redistribution channels; and they control their husband’s agricultural activity to the point that it is women, not men, who harvest gardens and market the produce." Additionally, Schwartz states that in the traditional rural Haitian society which continues to dominate Haitian cultural expectations, "the sexual division of labor and female primacy in governing economic matters of the popular household were linked to distinctly patterned gender rights and duties. Men were considered the financiers and underwriters of female entrepreneurial activities and household expenses; men gave women money; it was the woman’s right to receive; women were expected to reciprocate with sex and domestic service while intensely engaging in their own privately owned and managed marketing businesses the proceeds of which were intended for the maintenance of the household and children." If a man did not meet his obligations, the woman, even if married, had a socially recognized right to look for male support elsewhere.
In general, women and girls are the backbone of Haitian society and local economy (Helmer, 2021). However, despite the fact that nearly half of Haitian households are women-led and that women make up the pillars of the Haitian economy, there is an undoubted disparity between men and women. Women and girls continue to be affected by severe inequality, and gender-based violence (GBV) (Helmer, 2021).
Chrol (2020) lists some of the gender inequalities experienced by women in Haiti as described below.​
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One in three Haitian women ages between 15 to 49 has experienced some form of gender based violence.
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Most Haitian girls ages 13 to 17, school was reported to be the second most common location where they experienced some kind of sexual abuse.
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Due to a feeble judicial system in Haiti, there were no laws in place declaring rape and domestic violence a punishable offense until 2005. Furthermore, women and girls in Haiti are given far less legal protection than men. This results in no penalties for criminals who commit these atrocious acts.
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Women in Haiti often live in poor, low-quality housing. Many single mothers and women live on low wages with little means of social and economic advancement. Some women are forced to live with their parents to make ends meet.
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Only 22 percent of women are married in Haiti. In Haiti, a woman’s social standing is higher if there is a man in her life, especially for low-income women. Single women and single mothers are often frowned upon in society.