NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 08, 2022) – As Nevis joins the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day on March 08, 2022, the Honourable Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, is calling on women to be a source of encouragement and support for each other in order to overcome obstacles and advance themselves and their country.
The Premier was at the time addressing participants at the 2nd Annual Self Empowerment Workshop for women, hosted by Ms. Latoya Jones, Special Advisor in the Premier’s Ministry.
“Consider what it means for you all standing together and supporting each other. Too often in our society those at the forefront of pulling down are of the same sex, sometimes of the same socio-economic situation, sometimes even of the same family, and we have to recognize that while we may not agree on everything that there is important work to do together and that it is important that we support each other.
“Support each other…I think that is where it starts from. When someone is trying to do something good, something honest and decent, something to build herself and her family and you, therefore, say I will support her…that ability to commend each. Stop the gossiping, rumormongering and calling each other down.”
Also making a presentation was Ms. Latoya Jeffers, Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs. Sociologist Dr. Linda Carty of General Central was the chief facilitator.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. The various worldwide campaigns to mark the occasion center around a collective mission- to shine a spotlight on activity uplifting and inspiring women to pursue goals without bias or barrier.
Against that backdrop, Premier Brantley said Nevis can be proud of its record of elevating women to positions of leadership across the societal spectrum.
“I believe our record is one that we can be proud of the strides that we have made, but we still have some distance to go. We look around and we see women engaged in all facets of our society and our social life. We are not unaccustomed to women who occupy leadership positions in the home because women continue to be the principal individuals who head our homes. And so women have that role to play and have played that role with distinction, that anchor role in which they are the foundation on which our societies are built.
“In Nevis, we see women in leadership positions in all facets of the industry, in all facets of profession. Look around our ministries in government; we have women who are Permanent Secretaries, women who are Assistant Secretaries. Look at our schools; the vast majority of our schools on Nevis are headed by women. Look at our medical profession; look at our legal profession; look at who is our Magistrate; look at who is our Deputy Governor-General. We have women in top positions. I feel we can say with some degree of satisfaction that we are doing better than some others are doing at this point in our history.”
Hon. Brantley, who is the Senior Minister responsible for Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration, further pointed out that, unlike some other countries, women on the island of Nevis are able to vote, to stand for elections as candidates, and to access equal pay for equal work.