Women’s Issues on Commonwealth Agenda

KIGALI, RWANDA – The prime minister and delegation are wrapping up meetings at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda, and are preparing to return home.

This week, delegates from various sectors participated in a series of discussions on a range of topics. Two well-known ladies held the banner for The Bahamas on women’s issues. Our Jerome Sawyer spoke with them while in Rwanda.

Cherie Blair – wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair sharing some of the many disturbing statistics on gender inequality around the world.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was a panacea of issues affecting youth, business, law reform and women.

Representatives from 54 countries looked at mental health, COVID-19, domestic violence, and gender inequality in a session in a Women’s Forum.

The Bahamas’ delegation was headed by the wife of the Prime Minister Ann-Marie Davis.

It was an opportunity for other influential women in the Bahamian context to get in on these global discussions on women’s affairs.

Former Tourism Director General Joy Jibrilu attended as an observer and pointing out why Rwanda of all places is perfect for these discussions.

In her own experiences in positions of leadership, Jibrilu recognizes the gap to equality and basic respect remains wide.

This CHOGM is much more than just a meeting of leaders. Events like the Women’s Forum allow for the sharing of problems, ideas and solutions.

While not every issue is a Bahamian issue, there is more to gain from being here, than not.