Kingston to host a UN Session on Empowering and Advancing Women in Business

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 6 December 2022

From December 5 to 7, Kingston will host the first-ever United Nations Women Yemanja Collaborative: Leadership and Networking Workshop for Women Entrepreneurs.

The campaign targets females of African, Caribbean, North, and South American, and African origin.

It seeks to increase participants' ability for leadership, empower and equip them to grow their enterprises and produce worthwhile employment.

The workshop also helps entrepreneurs in the agroprocessing, cultural, and creative industries expand their networks and get mentorship possibilities.

During the opening ceremony on December 5 at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport Olivia Grange expressed her appreciation for the project.

According to Grange, the programme aims to advance and empower women in business to build a foundation that promotes gender equality in society.

The Minister stated, "This training and networking session gives a great chance for us to assess the progress made in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and explore how progress might be accelerated."

Tonni Brodber, a representative of the UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, stated in her remarks that the target group's focus is not exclusive. Instead, it acknowledges the distinctive socio-historical constraints that have prohibited and continue to prevent many women of Afro descent from business over the world.

“A key objective of the project is to contribute to enhancing the economic empowerment and resilience of women and youth in the micro, small and medium enterprises in the creative and cultural and growth industries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa through strengthened networks and opportunities for employability and entrepreneurship,” she said.

The national business support organisations of the participants nominated them.Participants will receive coaching in leadership skills during the three-day programme, which will also include breakout sessions on coaching for business pitches, networking opportunities in Africa and the Diaspora, company growth coaching, and business finance options.

UN Women, the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Development Bank, and other national and international players will all provide industry professionals to enable these.

Participants will pitch their business strategies or proposals to a panel of experts at the workshop's conclusion to get comments.