MINISTER of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon has highlighted the importance of women participating in and breaking barriers in fields often dominated by men.

Addressing the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) International Women’s Day Brunch and Awards at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Sunday, she said it is important that girls can see themselves in diverse roles and positions of leadership, noting that this empowers them to believe in their potential.

The minister, who spoke on the theme: ‘Accelerate Action’, pointed to the representation of women in Jamaica’s Parliament as a symbol of progress.

She noted that women hold 17 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives and eight seats in the 21-member Senate.

“It means that the voices of Jamaican women are resonating louder than ever in the halls of power. Young girls can finally see more women — more people who look like them — contributing to national debates. Laws and policies are being shaped by more diverse perspectives, including those of mothers and daughters who intimately understand the issues families face from our perspective,” she pointed out.

Drawing on her own experience, Morris Dixon shared that as she made the decision to enter politics, she was inspired by Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith.

“I looked at Kamina Johnson Smith, who was a friend of mine from before, and I saw her go into Government, go into the Senate, sometimes being attacked, and I remember being one of those who would send her a
WhatsApp message and say, ‘I know you’re going through a tough time but hang in there; there are many of us who are supporting you’.

“I looked at her going in and taking on this world, which I never thought she would ever do and because she did it and I saw her do it, I felt that I could do it, too… and that’s why representation really matters,” Morris Dixon said.

She also recognised the strides made in the private sector, where more women are assuming leadership roles and transforming the business landscape. However, she noted that there is still more to be done.

“Women remain under-represented at the very top in the corporate world. For instance, there are some studies that show that only about a quarter of chief executive officers (CEOs) and board members in large Caribbean companies are female. Many women still face barriers from the old boys’ networks to unconscious bias, [and] to tougher access to capital. So, while we applaud the progress, we must continue pushing for equal representation at all levels of leadership,” the senator said.

“Our sisters are depending on us and we have to see each other as sisters; they’re depending on us to speak up for them. Behind every successful woman is often a tribe of other women who have her back,” she pointed out.

Morris Dixon further emphasised the role of men on this mission.

“Men, you are very important in this entire endeavour. I can say from where I sit, I’m not here without my husband [who] is probably one of the biggest feminists there is. He is so supportive of me and it is very important that our men understand that. We, as women, also need to teach our sons how to be respectful of women and how to treat women as their equal,” Morris Dixon encouraged.

She congratulated the WLI, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary.

During the function, five outstanding women were honoured for their contributions in their respective fields.

They are CEO of Lillan Limited, Andrea Cowan; executive director of American Friends of Jamaica, Caron Chung; managing director of Jamaica Stock Exchange, Dr Marlene Street-Forrest; Bishop of Dover, the Rt Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin; and communications strategist and philanthropist, Dr Donette Chin-Loy Chang.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon (fourth right), shares a moment with members of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and five honorees during the WLI’s International Women’s Day Brunch and Awards held at Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Sunday. From left are: WLI Co-chair Roxann Linton; American Friends of Jamaica Executive Director Caron Chung; Lillan Limited Chief Executive Officer Andrea Cowan; Jamaica Stock Exchange Managing Director Dr Marlene Street Forrest; Bishop of Dover, the Rt Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin; communications strategist and philanthropist, Dr Donette Chin-Loy Chang; and chair of WLI, Grace Burnett. (Garfield Robinson)