Happy International Women's Day 2019

It's finally here! Happy birthday to me… I mean, happy International Women's Day. (Don't blame me!)

Today, I join with the global community to salute women and girls everywhere, particularly those of the OECS. It is well known that it is the women of our community who have been the bedrock of society and agents of change within it. In so doing, they have been steadfast in their determination to improve their economic, social, political, cultural and legal status.

This year's theme, “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”, focuses on inventive ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women — especially in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services, and sustainable infrastructure.

We are now twenty-four years on from that important milestone: the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Our governments were among the 189 that signed that historic document, which put forward an agenda for realising, among other things, the achievement of women's equality. Yet, today, that goal remains elusive.

I believe that the OECS remains committed to the proposed Goal 5 of the UN Framework for Sustainable Development — “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” — and I am sure they will continue to innovate for change.

International Women's Day 2019 — Think equal, build smart, innovate for change

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On this occasion of International Women's Day 2019, I join the voices across the region in celebrating our women — those whom we have formally recognised, and the many unsung heroines who continue to develop our OECS states. Let us renew our commitment and energy as we map out the path for thinking equal, building smart, and innovating for change: a sustainable development and a vital element in building our region.