St Mary women empowering themselves

The size of the gathering might not have truly reflected the magnitude of the event, but, in the end, it was all worth the effort.

Approximately 30 women turned out to celebrate International Women’s Day on Monday, a day after the official observance, at an event put on by the Women’s Action Committee (WAC) of the St Mary Chapter of the Jamaica Civil Service Association.

The event, ‘Women Empowerment Seminar,’ was held at, and in conjunction with, the St Mary Parish Library, under the theme, ‘Let’s all be #eachforequal’ and featured compelling presentations by the women who were included on the programme.

Keynote speaker, Monique Coombs-Morris, educator and St Ann Division Commissioner for the Girl Guides Association, urged the women in the audience to “help other women” and talk about “us” as a team, instead of just focusing on one’s self.

SHOW WORTH

She further urged them to show their real worth and not settle for mediocrity.

“A lot of us don’t know what we are about, we don’t know our strength. We have to stand tall, no mediocre thing!” she asserted, as she referenced Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, to be used to begin a change for better in each person.

“The rise of women is not about the fall of men, but about equality. Everyone has the right to equality,” Coombs-Morris pointed out.

“It’s best to be humble and, in everything, put God first,” she suggested in the end.

Latoya Bishop, a firefighter at the St Mary Fire Department, used her experience as a worker in a male-dominated field to show that women can excel in whatever career they might choose.

Dinah Ross added flavour to the proceedings, reading a powerful poem she wrote, titled ‘Woman is Superior’, while Mavis Johnson’s narrative of her journey through several occupations showed strength of character.

Wise and encouraging words also came from several other presenters, including Kereen Burton, senior librarian, and Nicole Hamilton, chairman of the St Mary WAC.

Karen Coleman-Clarke, chairman, St Mary Chapter, Jamaica Civil Service Association, summed up the feeling of the vast majority of the women who attended the seminar, telling The Gleaner, “The speakers were great, the firefighter, the farmer, those presentations were excellent, reminding women that we should all be each for equal. I was empowered.”

“And, as our keynote speaker said in her presentation, after today, what are we going to do? Is it that we’re going to reflect on what was said, are we going to try our best to each be equal? As women, are we really putting out that effort to really be each for equal?” she questioned.

Dubbed a success by the organisers, the event saw participation from several entities including the Jamaica Library Service, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, St Mary Municipal Corporation, Tax Administration of Jamaica north East Regional Health Authority and the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

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