Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 24, 2022 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs continues to honour the women of St. Kitts and Nevis for their work done in furthering the cause of gender equality and entrepreneurship.
On March 23, 2022, the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs held its St. Kitts Pioneering Women’s Gallery 2022 Induction Ceremony. The ceremony recognized outstanding women who were the first females to assume notable positions in various fields.
“Our elected officials, who are women, are a shining example that you can strive to attain the highest levels, the highest positions in our country. So, I am not here to give a long speech but really pray with you women, to join forces with you women, to encourage you, women, to continue to lift up those who are less fortunate than yourselves. It is part of the remit of our stewardship on earth to lift up those who are less fortunate than us. When people are hungry, you feed them, when people are naked, you clothe them, when people are sick, you tend to them. It is part of our responsibility according to that famous parable which Christ told,” said Minister Hamilton.
The Minister further asked the women present to continue to strive for excellence and to care for the less fortunate in an effort to reduce social disharmony within our society. A special thank you was given to the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for the continuous partnership to bring training and other opportunities for the women of the Federation.
“At this point, I want to thank the Taiwanese Government for their recent role in putting on a Two Million USD (United States Dollar) project in St. Kitts and Nevis training women to be entrepreneurs, and I have seen the roll-out of some ideas from these women that as long as they put in what they have learnt at these project, that is, the accounting side and the money management, that we will certainly see more women entrepreneurs in our Federation in the not too distant future. One of the women said to me that she was so glad she came, that she has been doing it for over twenty-odd years and it’s like she just went back to school with the number of things she had learnt. And then is when I really understood what it meant to the persons who got the exposure. Also, some women have benefited financially from it as well so it is a good thing,” said Minister Hamilton.
The 2022 inductees are Dr. Delores Stapleton-Harris, First Female Vice President of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College; Mrs. Sheryl Bass, First Female Manager of the St. Kitts Cooperative Credit Union; Ms. Louise Clarke – First Female Fire Engine/Truck Driver; Mrs. Tricia King – First Female Marine Biologist; Mrs. Giselle Matthews – First Female President of the Chamber of Industry & Commerce; Ms. Patricia Walters – First Female CEO of The Cable; Ms. Diane Dunrod-Francis – First Female to represent the Federation at the Olympic Games and Ms. Vashti Phillip -First Female CARICOM/Regional Youth Ambassador.
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