I must commend the Gender Affairs Department, in the Ministry of Social Development, for once again recognizing Women’s Week in Anguilla, March 1st to March 8th 2020. The week of activities being held in Anguilla, under the theme “Celebrating Women’s Rights Activists”, aligns with the United Nations theme for International Women’s Day on March 8th 2020 – “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”.
This year’s theme is highly suited to our current circumstance in Anguilla, as we are in the midst of our 2020 General Elections campaign. I am proud to be among several female candidates contesting this year’s elections, and even more thrilled to be joined in this race by several independent candidates. This is indeed a welcome change from the old style of party politics in Anguilla, which is often consumed by division and hateful rhetoric that our people, particularly our youth, have grown tired of. I am excited about the possibilities that this new chapter in Anguillian politics will bring.
I am also encouraged to see so many of our young women taking a leadership role and standing up for important issues and causes in our society. Gender Equality is important to the development of our country, and it is paramount that we exercise our collective voices towards achieving this important sustainable development goal. The protection of our women and girls in Anguilla is also of critical importance. This is an issue that is important to me and that is why, just after being elected to office, I introduced the Protection Against Sexual Harassment Bill in 2015 – as Leader of the Opposition. This was an important opportunity for the country’s legislature to demonstrate its commitment to our women.
As I reflect on this important week, I cannot help but feel an immense sense of gratitude for the women who came before me, who opened doors, and on whose shoulders we stand today. I am humbled to be the first female Elected Member of the House of Assembly from District One and the first female Leader of the Opposition in Anguilla. The dual responsibility of this reality has by no means escaped me. I am reminded every day of the work that I must do to properly and effectively represent the people of my District, Island Harbour, and by extension the people of Anguilla. I am motivated daily by women like Shirley Chisholm: the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, the first black candidate for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States, the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, and the first woman to appear in a United States presidential debate. It was Shirley Chisholm who said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”. I am also motivated by the love and encouragement that I receive from women and girls in Anguilla, from all backgrounds and walks of life, who are a constant source of strength in the toughest battles.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the women who are responsible for my existence, and who have developed within me important values and strong principles that guide my decision-making. To my mother, who birthed me, and my aunt who raised me, and to the women of my community who took care of me and encouraged me to dream big and work hard, I owe you every success that I have had and that I enjoy today. As we celebrate our women social activists this week, may we pause to give honour to the women of the Anguilla Revolution who sacrificed their own safety to champion the cause for self-determination of our people. Without them, the self-governed democracy that we enjoy today would not have been possible. I take this time to recognize them all and to say thank you, on behalf of all people in Anguilla, for your dedication to our free society.
Let this week not just go by quickly as the one before, but let us take the time as active citizens to thank the special women in our lives who have truly made a difference – a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a teacher, a neighbour, a friend. Let us celebrate the wonderful achievements that our women have made, and continue to make, for the good of our nation.
