NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 31, 2021) — Women on Nevis are beginning to see the merit in doing skills. That view was expressed by Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Health and Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on the second day of a Plumbing Workshop for Women from March 29 to 31, 2021, hosted by the Department of Gender Affairs.
The Junior Minister responsible for Gender Affairs was at the time looking on at the session at the Jessups Community Centre facilitated by Mr. Thomas Dore on March 30, 2021, when she spoke to the Department of Information. The workshop is part of the department’s activities for International Women’s Month.
“From the very onset that they put out advertisement for this workshop it was oversubscribed. Sixty persons have registered for his very important workshop…
“It means then, that our women have now started to think and to see the merit of doing skills becoming a part of the non-traditional skill-set which has been for all these years predominantly men dominated, and so I want to applaud the women who would have come forward to this very important skills training, that of plumbing,” she said.
Due to the COVID-19 protocols, the group was split in two sections according to their location in proximity to the venues – the Jessups Community Centre and the Pond Hill Community Centre. The sessions are being conducted simultaneously with facilitator Pastor Theophilus Kelly at Pond Hill.
The minister stated that there are other areas of interest by women for which the department plans to provide training this year.
“There has been an interest shown in basic mechanic as well as painting. So I am certain that throughout this year these other skill-sets for women will be put on, so that more and more women could be exposed to the non-traditional skills that were predominantly male dominated,” she said.
The Gender Affairs Minister added that women on Nevis are retooling themselves for the new normal, and getting themselves equipped for other jobs, in addition to want they have to subsidise their livelihood.
Mrs. Brandy-Williams commended the organizers from the Department for putting the workshops together and for carrying out the needs assessment to effectively come up with what she referred to as important skills workshops, to reequip women on Nevis at a time when some would have lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic.
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NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 03, 2021) – –The Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is set to host a number of activities for International Women’s Month, celebrated annually in March.
Ms. Latoya Jeffers, Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs in the NIA, on Wednesday, March 03, 2021, outlined some of the activities planned to celebrate women as leaders.
“On March 07, we will worship at the St. Pauls Anglican Church at 9 a.m. The attire for this is white.
“On March 08, which is actually International Women’s Day, we will celebrate by wearing yellow. We invite the general public to wear something yellow on this day. Women in Construction group will also have a display in the Memorial Square on March 08.
“The theme for that day is ‘Women in Leadership- lifting up each other one woman at a time,” she said.
Other activities include a Non-traditional Occupation for Women Seminar on March 23 at the Gender Affairs conference room; Women’s Month Award Ceremony at NEPAC on March 25; Women in Leadership Forum on March 27 at the St. Pauls Anglican Church Hall; and the Hats, Gloves and Heels Event at the Botanical Gardens also on March 27.
Ms. Jeffers also encouraged women to apply for the Earth University Scholarship, for which the deadline for application has been extended. This too falls under the International Women’s Month activities.
“We are also having an advert for women to apply for the Earth University Scholarship. This scholarship is being offered because of Women’s Month and we want as many persons as possible to fill the application…the deadline has been extended to March 15, so there’s still time for you to apply.
“So please take advantage of this opportunity,” she said.