On Tuesday, July 22nd, some 27 women gathered at Innovate Anguilla, a new state-of-the-art training facility adjacent to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, to participate in a two-day “She Trades” Workshop on Tuesday, July 22nd and Wednesday July 23rd, 2025.
The “She Trades” initiative, dubbed “Level up Your Marketing” was a workshop aimed to train women in the realm of modern business marketing ventures. The interactive workshop was dedicated to supporting women’s economic advancement in Anguilla. The event was organized by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), based in Barbados.
The programme was moderated by Gender Development Coordinator, Kemoloy Murphy, and the initiative was collaborated by the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
A Prayer of Invocation was first offered by participant Vonneter Richardson, who alluded to the Scripture that states: “Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father through Him.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Education, Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, addressed the women from an Anguillian-grown women entrepreneurship standpoint: “This workshop represents more than just a learning opportunity,” she said. “It reflects a broader commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs in Anguilla to thrive in an increasingly competitive business environment.”
She observed that by exploring more applicable marketing techniques via emerging artificial intelligence such as Chat GBT and Canva, workshop sessions such as “She Trades” would open up doors for smarter, more efficient and more impactful ways to connect with customers and to grow sustainable businesses.
The Caribbean Development Bank’s Regional Coordinator of “She Trades”, Ms. Kayanne Anderson, spoke in motivational tones via video feed to the ambitious bevy of ladies. She pointed out that Anguilla is the very first island in the region to benefit from the “She Trades” training initiative.
“I always like to start my presentations by alluding to Shaggy’s popular song, ‘Strength of a Woman’,” she affirmed. She complimented the group of women for their strength and resilience in projecting themselves to benefit from the training sessions.
“From beautiful Barbados it is my pleasure to greet all of you there in Anguilla. I miss Anguilla!” Ms. Anderson reflected. “It’s the most tranquil isle in the Caribbean, and I look forward to seeing you all in person at our next “She Trades” event.
“It is really a pleasure for us at the Caribbean Development Bank which hosts the “She Trades Regional Hub” to launch this activity with Anguilla,” she said. “Anguilla begins with the letter ‘A’ and alphabetically it is befitting that Anguilla gets to experience the first ‘She Trades’ Caribbean focal point activity being rolled out under the Hub.”
She thanked PS, Dr. Bonnie Richardson for so quickly facilitating the workshop event and for making it possible for them to come together and participate in the workshop sessions.
“On behalf of the CDB,” Ms. Anderson said, “as well as the International Trade Center, we applaud this new step towards empowering you women to steer your businesses and to grow.”
In Giving an overview of the workshop, Operations Manager of the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Shellecia Brooks-Johnson said that the intent of the workshop was to help female business owners in Anguilla think bigger, market stronger and grow stronger.
“This workshop was more than just training sessions,” she explained, “but it was a part of a national and regional commitment for empowerment, skills development, strategic growth and collaboration. And, the Chamber is honoured to partner with ‘She Trades Caribbean Hub’ and the Gender Affairs Unit to make it all happen.”
Day one’s facilitator was Public Relations Officer, Jemila Morson-Hodge, who presented on the topic Marketing by Design. Day two’s presenter was the Chamber’s Operations Manager, Shellecia Brooks-Johnson, who lectured on Digital Marketing. Generally, the women claim to have benefitted immensely from the sessions.
