The Anguilla Government’s efforts, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, to develop gender affairs to the desired goals, have been given a big boost with the appointment of Mrs Ronya Foy Connor as Gender Development Coordinator.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a press release dated Tuesday, January 7, that Mrs Foy Connor had taken up her appointment with effect from Thursday, January 2, 2014.
The rest of the press release is as follows:
“Among her job functions will be to plan, develop, direct, coordinate and manage the day to day activities of the Gender Affairs Unit and be the national focal point for gender in Anguilla through the implementation and monitoring of programmes, policies and activities aimed at effecting gender equality in the workplace and the wider community.
“Minister of Home Affairs with responsibility for Gender the Hon Jerome Roberts has welcomed Mrs Foy Connor to the Ministry and says the appointment represents a positive step forward in the Ministry’s and the Government’s gender platform of action. He notes that areas of focus this year will be the commissioning of a Gender Affairs Unit, the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill and the extenson of CEDAW to Anguilla.
“Principal Assistant Secretary in the Ministry Mr Kenneth Hodge who has responsibility for Gender Affairs, says the filling of this position was timely as there were many key issues on the gender platform to be addressed this year and beyond. He noted that this position had been in the making for a considerable time and thanked the Ministry and other key stakeholders including the Gender Working Group for their commitment and support to this process.
“Mrs Foy Connor said she was pleased to join the Ministry and looked forward to promoting and advancing gender equality in Anguilla among men, women, boys and girls. ‘It is an important time for our nation to look at ways that we can foster the social, economic and political betterment of all of us in Anguilla,’ she noted.
“Among her immediate priorities will be the compiling of a national gender calendar of events, registration of all men’s and women’s groups on the island as well as supporting all national celebrations such as Anguilla Day from a gender perspective, which speaks to uniting all sectors in the community.
‘I look forward to developing individual capabilities in addition to our collective strengths,’ she added.
“The Ministry has congratulated Mrs Foy Connor on her appointment and urges that all Ministries and Departments as well as the NGO community to provide all assistance necessary as she undertakes her new duties as Gender Development Coordinator.”