Turks and Caicos, March 8, 2017 – Providenciales –My people from across the length nd breadth of our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos, it is indeed an honour for me to address you today, as we join the billions of people across the world in celebrating International Women’s Day.
Whilst as you Premier, and as a woman, I support the daily recognition of our women, as wives, as mothers, as sisters, as daughters, and as friends, today is especially marked for the reminiscence of the women who throughout time have endured the struggle and those who led and fought the fight for equality within their nations. Industrially, it has been a long but good fight for the women of many countries and indeed it has been a victorious fight for the women of these Turks and Caicos Islands.
Over the years we have witnessed the evolution of the role of the woman from predominance in the home, to predominance in the school, to predominance in the workplace, and in recent years, predominance in politics. In fact, the non-traditional role of the woman has overtaken the role of males in many aspects and the paradigm shift has seen gender inequality tipping towards the male in 2017.
Whilst our success as women industrially is significant and should be celebrated, we must also strive to strike and maintain the balance as the career professional woman and the nurturer family woman to ensure that there is no renunciation of our role in the home and the society, and that we continue to play our part as mothers, wives and as participants in civic and social organizations.
We must continue to support the family unit realizing that, as feminists, we are ultimately responsible for the teaching and nurturing of our children through love, kindness, helpfulness and as the weavers of the moral and social fabric of our society.
In recognition of the role that women play in our lives, we must also recommit to the support, edification and protection of our women. We must make every effort to ensure proper legislations, policies and facilities are in place and functional for the protection of our women. I am therefore calling on Governments the world over to do our utmost to ensure that our women and our girls are protected from domestic abuse and violence, and protected from rape, molestation and other sexual offences.
Finally, let us also ensure that we continue to provide the fundamental access to systems and programs that will support female development and success, today an long into the future, so that we, as women, continue to be lifted up, honored, supported and recognized for the profound role that we play the world over and especially in these beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands.
Press release: TCIG
