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Last Updated: Sep 20, 2019 - 2:38:41 PM |
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie Campbell addressed the International Women’s Forum (IWF) at Atlantis, September 19, 2019 at which he encouraged the IWF leaders in government, business, the arts, science and academia, locally and internationally, to make ‘collective’ accomplishment a focus in order to move to new levels. (BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
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Nassau, The Bahamas – The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, challenged the International Women’s Forum of leaders in government, business, the arts, science and academia, locally and internationally, to make ‘collective’ accomplishment a focus in order to move to new levels.
Pledging his personal support as a Minister and father, Minister Campbell also challenged the women to celebrate their individual accomplishments and commended them for the forum and their work throughout the years.
However, he noted, “Those are not sufficient to take you where you need to be. The way women came together to effect majority rule, the way women came together to ensure that women had a voice at the ballot box, it is that kind of ‘collective’ accomplishment that I challenge you to work towards,” he said.
Minister Campbell addressed IWF Intensive, a program of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) taking place from September 19-20, 2019 at Atlantis, Paradise Island. The event focuses on advancing women’s leadership.
The two-day agenda includes: a wellness workshop, a discussion on challenges and opportunities female politicians face in government, sessions on ‘Seeing the Future with New Eyes, Parts I and II,’ ‘Inter-American Development Bank Ideathon: Prospects for Women in Political Leadership,’ ‘Women Leaders Rising,’ ‘Agility and Storytelling.’
(BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
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Minister Campbell acknowledged the executive members of IWF for bringing a prestigious platform of enormous wealth, talent, insight, and training for women in private, public and the political sectors.
As The Bahamas faces the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, he told the delegates that it takes positive leaders to positively impact the nation to influence the process to bring about solutions for the dignity of all.
“Powerful, positive solutions require women and men acting in partnership for more productive families, communities, agencies and companies.
“Women from public and private sectors working in unity for equality is a commendable act needed to restore a sense of sisterhood that has been at the heart of civilization since the beginning of time,” said Minister Campbell.
He remarked that The Bahamas government is guided by national, regional, and international conventions that speak to the fulfillment of the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and Girls, the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal number 5 that focuses on gender equality, rights and protection, privilege and empowerment of women girls.
(BIS Photo/Kemuel Stubbs)
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Combined with these critical mechanisms for development, The Bahamas, through the Ministry of Social Services and Development, has identified the top 5 national priorities: Increasing women’s representation in Parliament, increasing women’s ownership of land and business, increasing scientific research in areas of women’s health and climate change, increasing laws for the rights and protection of marginalized persons, and increasing strategies for the elimination of discrimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
Minister Campbell underscored the need for women to support each other.
“The Bahamas has an electorate population of 53% women. So, it is not the men who are preventing the women from being elected to Parliament, the women are not voting for the women. For this to happen, for any government to increase the representation of women in Parliament, women must support women.”
He also emphasized the importance of women’s health.
“Women are involved in every sector of our lives and we have an obligation to ensure that their health is a priority,” he added.
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