Empowerment Forum for rural women on October 14
An Empowerment Forum for rural women will be held on Friday at the Glistening Waters Restaurant and Marina in Falmouth, Trelawny.
The event, to be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, is part of a series of activities in observance of International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) under the theme ‘Rural Women as Champions: Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
IDRW is celebrated on October 15 each year to highlight the achievements and challenges of rural women.
Spearheading the activities is the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), a division of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, in collaboration with the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers.
A release from the BGA said the forum aims “to empower rural women with the financial knowledge and practical skills needed to launch them to the next level, allowing them to further their businesses, families and communities”.
The event will feature a panel discussion involving rural women who have achieved success in various industries such as technology, business and agriculture.
“It is a celebration of rural women from Independence to the present, how they have contributed to the development of the nation and how they continue to contribute despite the numerous trials over the past few years,” the release stated.
Another highlight will be a Rural Women’s Achiever Awards ceremony where 60 women, who embody the theme, ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’, will be presented with plaques.
“These women would have demonstrated exceptional courage, perseverance and creativity during the pandemic, preservation and respect for the environment, contribution to food security, productivity in agriculture, impact on the community and contribution to family life and home,” the release said.
In observance of IDRW, the BGA is collaborating with the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica to create a video that will highlight rural women who have been contributing to Jamaica’s development, in line with this year’s theme.
The video will also highlight young rural women who are making strides and have contributed to the development of the nation.
