BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Junior Minister in the Ministry of Health in the Nevis Island Administration, the Honourable Hazel Brandy-Williams, has commended the Team-Unity Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for its role in the development of women.
“I would like to place on record my profound thanks to Prime Minister the Honourable Timothy Harris for giving me an opportunity to share your stage,” said Hon. Brandy-Williams. “I applaud your efforts in having an inclusive approach as it pertains to the development of women.
“You have placed women at the epicentre of decision making and this is indeed commendable,” she said. “Since the Honourable Vance Amory gave me the task of preparing and supervising the Ministry of Social Development, Community Development, Youth and Sports, I have had a passion for gender and gender equality.
“In 2015 when the United Nations launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the development agenda, I was ready to go and my platform was already set,” she said. “This platform was the driving force behind organizing training for women not only in St. Kitts and Nevis but regionally and internationally.
“In 2013 and 2014, we organized conferences just for women empowerment,” explained Mrs. Brandy-Williams. “In 2015 and 2016, we had a forum on the SDGs, and in 2017, we hosted the first biennial conference for women and girls, a sub-regional forum and we looked at Sustainable Development Goal #4, quality education, and #5, gender equality.
“In 2018, we hosted a forum looking at mainstreaming gender international development,” she said. “We looked at SDGs #5, equality, #8, decent work and economic growth, and #10, reducing inequalities.
“In 2019, we hosted the second biennial forum for women and girls as well as for Ministers of Health and Ministers of Gender Affairs,” she added. “We then looked at Sustainable Development Goal #3, good health and well-being, and again Sustainable Development Goal #5, gender equality.
“Then again in 2019, we hosted yet another forum with women and girls in peace and security using the south-south approach.”
In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Brandy-Williams thanked the partners that helped fund the conferences. They included the United Nations Women, the United Nations Population Fund, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the ParlAmericas.
