Seminar in observation of Women’s Day is prelude to bigger conference later this year, Massiah says

Seminar in observation of Women’s Day is prelude to bigger
conference later this year, Massiah says
 
As International Women’s Day 2024 is being celebrated today,
March 8, the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) is
focusing on inclusion.
 
Accordingly, approximately 100 women are expected to gather at its
headquarters, Freedom Hall, to take part in an event that has
become a staple on the Union’s annual calendar.
 

This year’s observation takes the form of a seminar, being held
under the theme: “Count Her In: Invest in Her: Accelerate Progress,”
which is in keeping with the United Nations’ theme. And it brings
together a wide cross-section of women from multiple sectors and
industries.
 
Hazel Luke, the Union’s training officer, says “the seminar will focus
on the inclusion of women, particularly with respect to economic
empowerment and access to advanced health care, as a means of
accelerating progress.”
 
Luke says the event is also an opportunity for members of the Union
to capitalize on the knowledge and experiences of other women, as
the organisation seeks to broaden perspectives on collective
participation in the community and in the Nation.

Today’s seminar features presentations by accomplished women in
various disciplines, and they will explore topics such as “Economic
Empowerment and Inclusivity” and “Accelerating Progress through
Accessibility to Advanced Healthcare.”
 
Meanwhile, David Massiah, the ABWU’s general secretary, notes that
the annual event is one way in which the Union demonstrates its
commitment to advancing women in the world of work.
 
“Within the global union movement, there is a massive thrust
towards the empowerment of women through inclusion and by
investing in them,” Massiah says.

“It is through events such as this that we amplify the conversations
and initiate actions that will improve the experiences of women,” he
adds.

But today’s seminar is only the prelude to another major event later
this year – “The 200 Woman Conference,” the general secretary
reveals.
 
He says this will solidify the Union’s efforts to strengthen its
organization by expanding opportunities for women to contribute
and to have their voices registered at the decision-making level.
 
Meanwhile, statistics from the Union’s database reveal that its
membership comprises more than 60 percent women, who,
historically, have played a vibrant role on the Union’s executive
body.