ST. KITTS AND NEVIS IMPROVING GENDER EQUALITY GAP THROUGH SUSTAINABLE POLICIES AND TRAINING
Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 16, 2022 (SKNIS): International Women’s Day 2022 was celebrated globally on March 08, 2022. In the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, women leaders were honored for their invaluable service in various areas of socio-economic life.
During the March 15, 2022 edition of ‘Leadership Matters’, Minister of Social Development and Gender Affairs, the Hon Eugene Hamilton, highlighted the progress made in pursuit of gender equality.
“One week ago, St. Kitts and Nevis joined with the International Community to celebrate International Women’s Day. As Minister of Gender Affairs, I greeted all women on that day under the theme ‘Gender equality today, for a sustainable tomorrow’; of course, there was the #BreakingTheBias. The themes which I used last Tuesday, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, needs to be explained a bit because sustainable development goal number five (5) declares that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Gender equality refers to the responsibilities and opportunities males and females have irrespective of their sex. Our national statistics indicate that more than 50 percent of all households are headed by single mothers. The group faces multiple and interesting forms of discrimination and greater vulnerability, particularly the most socially and economically oppressed including women living with disabilities,” said Minister Hamilton.
Locally, the impacts of COVID-19 have made women even more vulnerable. The Minister of Social Development and Gender Affairs has partnered with the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to develop a number of training programmes for women, creating opportunities for entrepreneurship.
“St. Kitts and Nevis, of course, is located in one of the most vulnerable regions of the world, high exposure to natural hazards, the consequence of which severely affects our economy and poses threats to the sustainability of economic growth. And of course, those natural disasters, which as a result of climate change, of all of those hurricanes, do not indicate any gender neutrality nor affect males and females differently. Those gender inequalities, women’s vulnerabilities, and disadvantages are being exposed following the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. We saw the increase in the rates of domestic violence and we saw the burden of unpaid domestic work and care responsibilities,” said Minister Hamilton.
Minister Hamilton also acknowledged two women who will be 100 years old in March. Miss Angeline Matthew will celebrate her 100th birthday on Thursday 24th March, 2022at a church in Sandy Point while Ms. Esther Harris of St. Peter’s will celebrate her centenary anniversary on Friday, 25th March, 2022.
