Greetings on behalf of the Soroptimist International of Anguilla, the Soroptimist International of the Caribbean Network (SICN), and the Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBY).
Anguilla has been blessed with a number of centenarians, some of whom have passed on, and it is worthy to note that Sis Ursilla Connor is 108 years. We give God thanks for another centenarian who has recently gone to rest. We are also saddened by the brutal murder of a young woman, and we extend our condolences to her family and the entire Anguillian community.
Condolences to all who are mourning the loss of loved ones, especially in the COVID-19 Pandemic time.
Women in Anguilla have a lot of achievements to be grateful to Almighty God for, and must not be taken for granted. We have overcome some of that gender-balance rift for positions in status for which some countries are still struggling.
In the 1980s we were blessed to have the late Albena Lake-Hodge and Mrs Idahlia Gumbs as female politicians.
Between 2015 – 2022, we have been privileged to have had six women in the House of Assembly which include the Speaker of the House, Mrs Barbara Webster-Bourne. Three of these women are lawyers of which two emerged as Leaders of the Opposition – the first being the Hon Palmavon Webster.
The Hon. Cora Richardson-Hodge acted as Chief Minister with the former Anguilla United Front (AUF) Government, and is now the current Hon. Leader of the Opposition. The two other women are the Hon Evalie Bradley (AUF) and presently the Hon. Quincia Gumbs-Marie of the APM. We are grateful for your presence as we celebrate this important day in recognition of women.
During the last week of February, the Hon Minister of Education Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, who is a lawyer, acted as Premier in the absence of the Premier, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster, of the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM).
Women have made strides in the clergy, the judicial system, the Royal Anguilla Police Force, and in every aspect of the workforce and community involvement in the non-governmental organisations (NGOS), and as individuals. Therefore, we have women in top level positions in the public and private sectors, in the decision-making process.
Presently, opportunities are available to all for tertiary education on island, hospitality training and Entrepreneurship.
Together, we women work with our men in gender balancing for sustainable development of our country and the world. However, in spite of this progress we still have a long way to go as we reflect on the Theme: Breaking the Bias – Making a Better You, because gender-bias still affects the lives of some women. As Soroptimists, we seek to educate and empower our women and girls by working together with educators and other partners, as witnessed this evening. Thus, there is still room for improvement in the advancement of women and girls in Anguilla and the wider world.
Unfortunately, domestic violence seems to be on the rise in Anguilla. I believe we can all agree that there is no place for domestic violence and heinous crimes in our little paradise. The rise of these incidents is likely to have some negative impacts on our economy and our livelihood. So, as a community, the onus is on us all to put concrete measures in place to eliminate all instances of these dangerous and destructive behaviours and occurrences.
I wish God’s richest blessings on all as we progress through 2022 and beyond. Happy International Women’s Day!
Thank you!
Ursil Webster Brooks
Immediate Past President – Soroptimist International of Anguilla- an affiliated member of the Anguilla National Council of Women and Immediate Past President of the Anguilla National Council of Women
