21 stories we’ve told this year
THERE’S no stopping a woman who’s intent on shaping history, and the women we’ve featured this year have their own stories of triumph – some over adversity – that we’ve taken pleasure in highlighting this year.
These women are fierce and strong and full of fire, with a burning passion that reverberate in their daily life, and the people whose lives they’ve impacted.
We remind you of 21 of the most amazing voices we’ve shared this year.
1. Evoné Walters – The show must go on
Evoné Walters walked briskly into 2021, taking centre stage. Having spent 30 years waiting in the wings and developing her character, the entrepreneur knows her role, has studied her lines, and is not afraid of the spotlight. She was energised and ready to perform, and was anticipating that the year would have been a tough one, but the show must go on.
“One of the things I had to learn in 2020 was to breathe, to release what I can’t control. That’s one of the things that I’m going into 2021 with,” shared the founder and managing director of Artribute Performing Arts, a company focused on using the performing arts as a medium of education and behaviour change, at the beginning of the year. “I am calm. I am releasing whatever fears and negative feelings I might have felt in 2020, and just being very open in 2021.”
2. Cherine Anderson – The Powerhouse
Cherine Anderson has never been one to sit comfortably in a box and wait for things to happen for her, and 2021 wasn’t the year she would start doing so. So while others we watching and waiting to see if this year would be a better one than the last, the actress, musician and CEO of Power Living Realty Limited was walking by faith into 2021.
“When you get content, you die a slow death in life and in business,” she said. “I’ve learnt that we experience growth right on the edge of our discomfort. Ultimately, purpose for me is found when we trust and stay obedient to God. All my talents and gifts couldn’t have been given to me to just have fun, make money and make the world happy. God, the Creator, has a manual for me, his creation, and everyday something more is revealed to me.”
3. Charissa Clemetson – Confidence redefined
Over the last two years, Charissa Clemetson has redefined confidence for herself completely. At what she describes as the lowest point in her life, like many women she had to overcome issues such as low self-esteem and low self-worth to unlock her full potential and realise just how beautiful, rare and valuable she is — inside and out. Now Clemetson is not only a digital media manager, but she is also a skilled make-up artist, talented dancer, and co-founder of the One Body, One God dance ministry.
As she climbs to see what the future has in store for her life, Clemetson carries with her the gems that she found when she was at rock bottom.
“You have to be able to own your mistakes,” she said soberly. “We all make mistakes at every point of our lives, and it’s easier to bounce back from them when we can face it, accept it and move on.”
4. Sertina McGreggor Fuller – Fixing women’s crowns
Dr Sertina McGreggor Fuller knows that necessity is the mother of invention. She learned this lesson after having her first baby when she, like many women do after childbirth, began losing her hair. Not only did the new mother have the severe alopecia to contend with, but she also struggled to breastfeed and bond with her newborn, accept that her career as a physiotherapist was on pause, and adjust to the changes that her body had gone through during pregnancy and childbirth.
As she trudged through the darkness of postpartum depression, McGreggor Fuller, who believes that a woman’s hair is her crown, felt dull and unattractive. It was out of this necessity to once again recognise and adore the woman in the mirror that her wig-making and hair product line Sertyfied Hair was born.
“In life, God put passions and purposes into people, and sometimes you never know that you have these hidden talents and gifts, and they’re not just for you, but they are also for other people,” she said.
5. Sonjah Stanley Niaah – The culture doctor
Since the day she became a student, Sonjah Stanley Niaah has never wanted to leave school. It surprised no one in her family that Sonjah, who dreadfully (if a bit oddly) hated weekends and summer holidays because she was not at school, grew to become one of the Caribbean’s most prominent scholars. As the first PhD Cultural Studies graduate from The University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Stanley Niaah is also a cultural activist, writer, blogger and international speaker. Since 2015 she has been the director of the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and the Reggae Studies Unit at The UWI.
“The vision that I’ve held for the ICS is to make it an internationally competitive and recognised institute for Caribbean studies with a focus on cultural studies,” she said. “The biggest challenge has been to position the institute in the eyes of the university administration, but the biggest achievement has been the position of the institute internationally.”
6. Trishana McGowan — Her personal best
When she was an athlete at St Andrew High School for Girls, Trishana McGowan never received her medals when she expected them, but she never threw in the towel. She kept training and improving her personal best, confident that her hard work would pay off eventually. And sure enough, she eventually got her podium finish in the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships in 2004.
“I’ve learned in my years of doing sports that you can train hard for something and you still might not get the desired results. It’s the same thing with life. You get up and you go again, and you keep going, and you keep moving forward, because you never know when that win will come. You never know when that breakthrough will come, but it will come, because you have done good work,” she shared.
7. The Shand sisters – Creating solutions through adversity
The community of Resource in southern Manchester is home to many hardworking, determined and, well, resourceful people. Among them are two women, Advira and Taneisha Shand — sisters who grew up in a single-parent farming household in the small agrarian settlement, and are now making a big impact on the world. The sisters are the masterminds behind Your Guide Through Unemployment and MATHS Simplified, two online-based resource platforms that are helping Jamaicans to overcome some of their most pressing challenges.
“Through MATHS Simplified we provide free, virtual mathematics tutoring sessions to students, and offer succinct and in-demand online mathematics tutorials to improve students’ understanding of challenging topics and concepts and inspire a love for the discipline,” Taneisha said.
8. Simone Stewart – Uniquely blessed
After getting married and trying unsuccessfully to have a baby for five years, Simone Stewart received a prophecy that she would bear a son and she should name him Samuel. Surely enough, before the end of that year, she was pregnant and it was a boy. Becoming a mother not only filled her with joy and pride that she had not known before, but it also motivated her to tap into her potential for greatness and seek out things that she was passionate about. Samuel is now 13 years old, and Stewart has grown to become an author, banker, talk show host, public speaker, minister and businesswoman.
“I’m trying to leave a legacy,” she said. “I want to set the stage for other women. I want to create a platform for women who have stories that nobody knows about.”
9. Nickette Morgan-Williams’ music ministry
Having been a Christian all her life, Nickette Morgan-Williams knew that at some point in her life she would find herself walking in the valley of the shadow of death. What she did not expect, however, was that this valley was the road to motherhood. She sat down with All Woman to reflect on how she had to rely on God’s rod and staff for comfort after a fibroids diagnosis, two complicated deliveries, the loss of her only son, and her daughter’s journey with autism spectrum disorder.
“It was really my faith that kept me,” she shared. “The experience took me to a different place in God. I know God as a comforter, and I know him now as a keeper of the mind, because this is something that can cause you to go crazy.”
10. Rashida Gayle – In the BIG League
As a child growing up in Jamaica, Rashida Gayle liked to imagine that she would grow up to become either the next Oprah Winfrey or a gynaecologist — such was her passion for representing and helping people, especially women, to access the opportunities and resources they deserve. Today, she is neither Oprah nor a doctor, but she is still in the big leagues. Now living and working in the United States, Rashida is the first and only black woman to independently represent both National Football League and Major League Soccer athletes, and was named a 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 and 2021 Atlanta 500 awardee.
“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is hard in itself, because you’re not typically in the room, especially in a high position. Put being black on top of that,” she said frankly.
One of the biggest challenges that the CEO faces is one she has to overcome constantly — being confident and bringing her A game day in, day out.
“It’s really convincing yourself everyday that it’s worth it — that you’re worth it… That the vision that you see is going to come through and there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said with conviction.
11. Trecia Campbell-Sharpe – An engineering powerhouse
When Trecia Campbell produced electricity for the first time using a circuit in her high school physics class, something also sparked inside her mind. She realised that she absolutely enjoyed the process of transforming an idea into a real, tangible solution to improve lives. So with excellent passes in physics and mathematics, limited knowledge of the careers within the field, and a powerful determination to excel, she graduated and set out to become an engineer.
Today, being in such a practical field means that Campbell-Sharpe not only has to talk the talk; she also has to walk the walk.
“I find that I also have to walk around with a level of confidence, because when I appear on a job site, being a woman, unless people already know me, no one will assume I am in charge,” she said. “And when I am in a position where I need to challenge these men, I have to be able to challenge them from a position of knowledge, so I do my homework and surround myself with capable people to support me on projects that are not my niche area.”
12. Tanya Lee Perkins — Building brands and businesses
Tanya Lee Perkins decided that she would bet on herself and start her own marketing business at the start of the pandemic, and she has been winning ever since.
She is no stranger to either marketing or sports, as she is well known and respected in both industries across the region. Her brainchild, LEEP Marketing, has quickly emerged as a comprehensive marketing agency for small and large businesses, and one of the leading sponsorship management and brand-building consultancies for local and international athletes and influencers. Having the best of both worlds means that she has to be on the ball at all times, but she doesn’t mind.
She prides herself in her work, and encourages other women to do the same.
“Ensure your work is superb as it will speak for itself and open doors for you,” she encouraged. “Guard your reputation well — people work with people they trust. Don’t take shortcuts and never play small.”
13. Shenseea: Up close and personal
She’s dancehall’s it girl, a bubbly personality who says her passion drives her. As she released Run Run, the first single and video from her highly anticipated début album for Interscope Records, she sat down with All Woman to give a closer look at the woman behind the music.
“You’re super confident and positive, what drives you?” we asked. “My passion,” she revealed. “I love what I do. I can’t stop! For example, when I’m working hard, you can see the tiredness in my eyes. I love that feeling.”
And asked how important is it for her to be a strong female role model for her son, her response was pure honesty –
“I want him to be able to recognise a good woman when he sees one. I have to show him love, care and respect. I want the best for my son.”
14. Sandie Heron – Writing her story one book at a time
When Sandie Heron decided to move from Jamaica to Japan over three years ago, she knew that it would not be easy. She also knew, however, that if butterflies chose to stay in their cocoons forever, they would never spread their wings and fly.
So in March 2018 Heron packed her bags and embarked on a journey into the unknown, like she had done several times in her life before. It took some time for her to adjust to living in a world of strangers, but now, almost four years later, she shared with All Woman that she does not regret her decision. In fact, the experience has allowed her to master the art of embracing change, so much so that she has penned two books about it, with the latter giving a detailed account of her experiences in the country.
“I plan to develop a publishing company to help other aspiring authors to write and publish their own stories,” she shared…One thing I have realised is that the more you write, the more inspiration you get to keep on writing.”
15. Stacy Wright’s healthy makeover
For over 27 years, Stacy Wright was significantly overweight. Driven by the desire to fit the ideal body image by trying many fad diets, she failed and always regained the weight. It was not until she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and mandated to take medication at 28 years old, that Wright decided to focus on becoming healthy.
“I am motivator, supporter, and healthy lifestyle advocate to women,” Wright can say now. “Out of concern for my own health and the need for more health education in Jamaica, I obtained my master’s in public health and became a certified health education specialist. My goal is to provide others with the knowledge and skills to gain control over their health and to recognise that becoming healthy is a lifelong journey.”
16. Kivette Silvera: Offering a helping hand
Even though Kivette Silvera grew up with female relatives in Oxford, St Mary, who embodied selflessness by caring for those in need, it was her son’s wish that pushed her to work at Food For the Poor Jamaica (FFP).
During her interview for the position of financial controller in 2013, the executive director at the time asked her why she wanted to work there. In that moment Silvera was positive she had the best response.
“My grandmother, mother, aunt — my entire family — is all about giving back, but I remember mentioning in the interview what my son [Daniel] who was six years old at the time said to me one day. He said, ‘Mommy, when I grow up, I want to have a lot of money so I can build houses to take in all the people I see on the streets that need help’. For me, that was my true destiny to say, ‘Hey, if I do it for nobody else, I have to do it for my son’,” she said.
17. Dr Sharifa Frederick – The fertility expert
In a perfect world, hundreds of Jamaicans wouldn’t have to face the unseen, yet devastating pain of infertility. But since we don’t live in a perfect world, peace of mind comes from knowing that we have the expert hands of doctors like obstetrician-gynaecologist and reproductive specialist Dr Sharifa Frederick on the front line of fertility management.
The mother of four boys who spends most of her days at the Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies, has a vested interest in creating equal opportunities for patients wishing to conceive but are plagued by fertility-related challenges.
“Fertility takes you all in; it allows you to get fully involved in the patient’s life as you help them achieve their goals. When your patient conceives it’s a feeling of elation, and when the couple has a successful delivery it’s one of the most satisfying moments in life,” Dr Frederick told All Woman.
18. Charmaine Daniels’ humanitarian journey
For Charmaine Daniels, chief executive officer of the Digicel Foundation, being able to impact people’s lives in a meaningful way is a priceless opportunity. And with dedicated team members, Daniels says she has all the support she needs in ensuring that the goals of the foundation are achieved successfully.
“My team members are very passionate about the work of the foundation even though it can be overwhelming sometimes, but they remain very focused and are always willing to go above and beyond. I believe that in the word team, there is no ‘I’, so by myself I wouldn’t be able to do all the work that the foundation has been able to do,” she told All Woman.
The foundation aims to mobilise and distribute resources to communities across the island to improve education at the early childhood and primary school levels, increase access and opportunities for people with special needs, and stimulate sustainable entrepreneurial activity.
19. Antoinette Chase – Planted But Needed Water
Antoinette Chase has experienced her fair share of hardships. Having experienced first-hand abuse in various capacities, this author and life coach has documented how she was able to bounce back from a physical and emotional relationship (marriage) that almost cost her her life, to today inspiring women all over the world.
Now living in Canada, Chase authored the inspirational and motivational book Planted But Needed Water: A True Story about Faith, Resilience and Self-Belief, which is her documented testimony of her struggles in Jamaica and Canada, and how she overcame them despite the various challenges. It goes in depth about how the former Jamaican media personality was able to succeed despite the challenges, as well as detailing the psychological trauma she endured as a child, and mostly the adjustments of living in a foreign country with no support system.
As a life coach and motivational speaker, I used my story to motivate, fuel and inspire others. I often say to them, ‘STAY PLANTED! Everything you are going through is necessary, God must be preparing you for something BIG,” she said.
20. Juliet Holness – Challenge accepted
Juliet Annmarie Holness was All Woman’s patron for International Women’s Day this year, and she shared how she never felt ashamed when her schoolmates saw her selling clothes and shoes in Spanish Town with her mother in the evenings when she was a youngster. Back then she was Juliet Landell, an industrious and thrifty student of St Catherine High, who was too busy learning the ropes of the business to care what her peers thought of her.
Now, Holness doesn’t know where life will take her next, but she has overcome enough challenges in her lifetime to know that she has no reason to be afraid of what the future holds.
“Where I am today, from where I started, I owe it all to God, to my parents, and to the perseverance of working hard and being dedicated,” she said.
“I don’t want to see a world, or a Jamaica, where women cannot be appreciated for their intellect, their capability and their skill. We shouldn’t have to bring anything else to the table. Once women are treated equally, you are going to find that Jamaica is better for it.”
21. Up close with Daveanna-Kay Reid
“I am enabled.” These were the words of confident Daveanna-Kay Reid, who depends on a wheelchair to move around, to describe her seven-year-long journey at Digicel Jamaica. Now a human resource executive, Reid started as intern at the telecommunications giant through the Digicel Foundation initiative POWER (Providing Opportunities for a Workforce that is Enabled and Resilient).
Through the POWER internship programme Digicel hires, on average, three members of the disabled community each year, from both the high school and university level.
“I don’t use the word pity. It’s a word I don’t acknowledge,” Reid quipped, adding, though, that she welcomes assistance.
“I just want to have equal opportunity right across the board. Whatever it is, give me the same opportunity that you would give an able-bodied person… I am deserving,” she continued.
In fact, Reid explained that part of her growth has been due to her company’s management working with employees to craft an “individual development plan” with which they can chart a career path. And, like herself, colleagues with disabilities have excelled and gained promotion in finance, human resource, customer care, among other departments. This, she believes, is a true reflection of enablement, inclusivity and equal opportunity.
