Women from all walks of life and their supporters met at Government House on Tuesday 8th March, 2016 for a reception, hosted by HE Governor Christina Scott, to reflect on the achievements and advancement of women in today’s world as they celebrated International Women’s Day.
This prestigious event was part of Women’s Week 2016 -its theme “Women in the Arts: Healing through creative expression”. Fifteen outstanding women were highlighted and celebrated at the event for their contributions to the development and preservation of various art forms in Anguilla.
The women in arts recognized were: Irenee Ewards, The Arts of Handicraft/Crochet/Hardanger; Daphne Jacobs-Richardson, The Art of Music; Hon. Evalie Bradley, The Art of Drama/Acting; Rhona Richardson Roydon, The Art of Gardening/Landscaping; Valarie Hodge, The Art of Historical Storytelling; Amber Woodley, The Art of Dance; Holly Jahn, The Art of Dance; Patsy Adams, the Art of Expression; Lisa Webster, The Art of Hairstyling & Nail Design; Jaine Rogers, The Art of Jewelry Making and Song; Rebecca Webster, The Art of Calypso; Dr. Linda Banks, The Art of Film and Production; Canita Ruan, The Art of Face Painting; Twyla Richardson Thomas, The Art of Event Design and Rebecca Haskins, The Art of Photography.
HE Governor Christina Scott commended the women for their contributions to Anguilla and charged them to continue to inspire young women on the island. Governor Scott used the timely event to reveal that the United Kingdom Government has extended the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to Anguilla. She commended the Gender Affairs Unit and Dr. Ronya Foy-Connor for tirelessly working towards this milestone achievement. Anguilla joins the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands as British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean that are party to CEDAW. She noted that this was an important step for Anguilla: “I am delighted that Anguilla has made this important step in its human rights history. Significant progress has been made over the years to improve gender equality in Anguilla, and we have a strong legal framework in place to protect women’s rights. I look forward to doing whatever I can to further gender equality in Anguilla, including working with Ministers to see measures in the Domestic Violence Bill made a reality for those who need its protection.”
CEDAW was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and has been ratified by almost every single member of the United Nations. CEDAW embraces the principle of equality between men and women and the prohibition of discrimination which affects women’s enjoyment of political, economic, social, cultural, civil and other rights on an equal basis with men. By accepting CEDAW, countries and territories commit themselves to ending discrimination against women in all forms so that they, along with men, can enjoy all of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Countries that have ratified CEDAW are legally obligated to work towards implementing its provisions, and are also committed to monitoring and reporting on the ways in which they are meeting the treaty obligations, at least once every four years.
This year marks the third year since the introduction of Women’s Week, in Anguilla, as part of the Gender Affairs calendar. Remaining activities include: “Tapping into Transformation” workshop with internationally renowned tap dancer, Frances Bradley; a multi-media exhibition and a church service at the Dominian Faith Centre on Sunday March 13th which brings the week to an end.
