The Directorate of Gender Affairs recently held widespread consultations with stakeholders from various government and private sector agencies on the national report for the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The consultation held on Thursday, April 25, concluded a series of consultative sessions that began in February and formed part of the preparation process for Antigua & Barbuda’s 2019 report on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The report comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and will be amalgamated into the global review on the state of gender equality.
Over the past three months, stakeholder agencies have provided valuable support to the Directorate of Gender Affairs through thematic working groups and have also benefited from training sessions facilitated by UN Women Multi-Country Office Caribbean on gender mainstreaming.
The stakeholders represent a broad range of agencies and organizations from various sectors which include; health, education, labour, statistics, youth, national security and immigration, environment, social transformation, finance, legal affairs, tourism, agriculture, police, parliamentary representative, media workers and civil society organizations and NGOs.
Acting Executive Director of the Directorate of Gender Affairs, Farmala Jacobs, said that using a consultative approach will help to ensure that the realities and experiences of women and girls are reflected in the report.
“The reporting process gives us an opportunity to assess the progress we have made across sectors on improving the lives of women and girls in Antigua and Barbuda. We also take the time to assess the gaps and highlight priority actions that need to be taken to achieve gender equality.”
During the consultation members of the Directorate of Gender Affairs Technical Team presented the draft report for feedback from the stakeholders.
Antigua & Barbuda signed on to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995 signifying a national commitment to advancing women’s empowerment, and to making gender equality a lived reality in Antigua & Barbuda.
Under this signatory commitment, Antigua & Barbuda is required to submit a
progress report on the country’s achievements and challenges towards achieving gender equality every four years.
The draft report specifically highlights the nation’s achievements towards achieving gender equality in education, political participation, health, violence against women, poverty, and the economy; and also chronicles our progress across the twelve critical areas.
The Directorate of Gender Affairs plans to revise the report based on the feedback from the consultative session and the expects to submit the finalised report by May 1, 2019.
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Why is Ms. Jacobs still “acting”?? Is she an actress? How long now she a act? Why can’t she be confirmed?? Is she not worthy of the actual job post? So you use her in the meantime until you find a “hotshot” to fill the role?
Antigua and Barbuda has absolutely no issues with gender equality.
Why is it we consume all these western ignorance?
We seem hell bent on mirroring the most unhealthy democratic nation in the world that has the highest number of persons in prison. There prosperity is built on the more the merrier. This principle is distructive.
What ever they are doing is not working.
Take a look at the LOWER HOUSE of Parliament. Only 2 female MPs. Is that equality? We still have a long way to go. Things in the Senate are much more healthy in terms of gender equality. A female was overlooked to give Daryll Matthew a chance in that constituency.
Thankfully we seem to be doing better where Permanent Secretaries are concerned. The majority of them are female.
We need to do better in terms of reresentation in the lower house. Look what fate Joanne Massiah suffered because she DARED to challenge Mr. Lovell
The laying field is still not levelled.
Equality means equal opportunity for all. There is absolutely nothing hindering any other gender from participating in any private or public service.
Really?? Nothing hindered Joanne Massiah? I beg to differ. How dare she as a …..wait for it….W-O-M-A-N challenge a “man” for party leadership. Where is/was the EQUAL OPPORTUNITY in that case?
There was a democratic process called voting.
She did not get the majority.
She cleaned all sort of things but at the end of the day it was the majority’s voice that was heard.
So what’s the problem there? Next issue!!!
Massiah participated that looks like equality to me.
The Member of Parliament for All Saints East & St Luke said her suspension from all activities of the United Progressive Party (UPP) is a calculated attempt to keep her from vying for the leadership at the next convention.
“I believe that there is a feeling accompanied by a fear in the UPP that I will challenge again for the leadership of the party, and so the current leadership has determined the only way to prevent my contesting, in the event that the disciplinary process is not completed, is to ban me from all party activities,” Massiah said.
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