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Dame Janet Bostwick  Receives CARICOM Triennial Award for Women; Second for The Bahamas

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 NASSAU, The Bahamas –Her first exposure to the plight of women happened in the 1950s and this sparked her unrelenting fight for the empowerment of women in The Bahamas, regionally, and globally.

For her significant contributions to the advancement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, the Rt. Hon. Dame Janet Bostwick, 83, was honoured with the prestigious 13th CARICOM Triennial Award for Women.

The honour was bestowed on her at the Official Opening Ceremony of the 44th Regular Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, at Atlantis, Paradise Island, February 15, 2023.

The Hon. Philip Davis, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of The Bahamas and Chair of CARICOM, presented a framed Citation and award to her before a packed Grand Ballroom.

Dame Janet, an attorney and champion for women’s causes, became the second Bahamian woman to receive such an honour.  Marion Bethel, attorney, poet, essayist, filmmaker, human and gender rights activist, and writer was honoured in 2014.

In response to receiving The 13th CARICOM Triennial Award for Women, Dame Janet underscored the importance of women fighting for justice, equality and other areas such as the impact of climate change.

She said that the region is “so proud” that a woman, the Hon. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, is leading the charge for women against climate change.

“We do not have the luxury ladies of focusing our attention primarily on achieving gender equity or equality.  With the real threat of climate change, we must fight now for our very lives, and the continued existence of our nations.  Women, who are always the most vulnerable, should lead this fight.”

Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick, DBE, née Musgrove, was born 30 October 1939 in Nassau, The Bahamas to Nick and Lois Musgrove.

An attorney at law, she is revered as a pioneer among women in The Bahamas and is well known, admired and respected for the many years she championed the cause for the empowerment and improvement of the status of women at home and in the region.

Dame Janet has the distinction of having achieved many “firsts” in her career. Most notably: first woman in The Bahamas to hold the post of Secretary General of The Bahamas Public Services Union; to prosecute in the courts; to be elected as President of The Bahamas Bar Association and Chairman of the Bar Council; first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament following her election to the House of Assembly in 1982; the first woman appointed Attorney General in The Bahamas and the region in November 1994; the first woman appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1995. She was also the first woman to act in the post of Prime Minister.

Dame Janet’s activism on women’s issues spans from the mid-1960s, when she was an executive member of The Bahamas Public Services Union, through her entire political career. Over the many years, she represented The Bahamas at the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), chaired the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), as well as headed The Bahamas delegation at the Fourth World Women’s Conference in Beijing, China in September 1995.

Dame Janet shared that she was exposed to the plight of women while working at the Supreme Court in the 1950s, but was deeply sensitized to the extremities of violence against women when she attended an international conference in the early 1990s.

“It was then that I knew that I had to be a part of that group, which sought change and global recognition of men and women, as equal partners in every respect,“ Dame Janet said.

She continued: “I heard the cries of those women in 1957. And if you listen, you hear the cries of mothers now. They cry for food security. They need food for their children. They cry for cessation of violence, they cry for better education and for better and affordable health services.  And yes, they cry for equal rights with their land.

Dame Janet urged all to be careful not to be distracted from the cause for the rights of women.

“It is a battle that is still too far from victory. And it is a battle, which in my humble opinion is not receiving the acknowledgment attention and action that is required to ensure that the injustice is eliminated. It is a battle that has been relegated to a position of lesser importance, and it’s been choked by the clamor of others.”

She added: “This is tragic. Every one of us who ever existed came into existence through woman. We cannot afford to give precedent to the rights of others if we do not so successfully address and eliminate the inequities that exist throughout our diaspora, and indeed throughout the world, in respect of the rights of us, women.  I submit that for this, we need no redefinition of woman. There is much to be done.”

Dame Janet thanked all who were instrumental in nominating her for the award.

Since the introduction of the Triennial Award in 1983 several highly esteemed and outstanding women of the Caribbean have been bestowed the honour of the award for their dedication and determination in broadening the parameters of existence for women, and improving their economic, social, political, cultural and legal status.

Other Caribbean women awarded are: In 1984, Ms. Nesta Patrick of Trinidad and Tobago; 1987, the late, Her Excellency, Dame Nita Barrow of Barbados; 1990, Dr. Peggy Antrobus, national of Grenada and Citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; 1993, Ms. Magda Pollard of Guyana; 1996, Dr. Lucille Mair of Jamaica; 1999, Professor Joycelin Massiah, national of Guyana and Citizen of Barbados; 2002, Professor Rhoda Reddock of Trinidad and Tobago; in 2005 Justice Desiree Bernard of Guyana; 2008, Professor Barbara Evelyn Bailey of Jamaica; 2011, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau of Barbados; 2014, Ms. Marion Bethel of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; 2017, Ms. Shirley Pryce of Jamaica.

 

PHOTO CAPTION: The Hon. Philip Davis, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of The Bahamas, and Chair of CARICOM, presented Dame Janet Bostwick with the prestigious 13th CARICOM Triennial Award for Women during the Official Opening Ceremony of the 44th Regular Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, at Atlantis, Paradise Island, on February 15, 2023.

(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)

Bahamas News

Work of NAECOB critical in ensuring high standards in education, says Minister Hanna-Martin

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By KATHRYN CAMPBELLBahamas Information Services
NASSAU, The Bahamas, March 29, 2023 – Over 100 schools in New Providence, public and private, and some 30 plus schools in Freeport have been inspected by The National Accreditation and Equivalency Council (NAECOB) to ensure high quality standards for the delivery of education.
“We will cover every island, every cay in this country to make certain that the facilities that we send our children to are adequate, conducive for learning, safe and sound for education,” said Thelma Grimes, chairperson, NAECOB.
“We are going to head to Cat Island and all the others before June.This is our announced visit. They [schools] have a chance to get things fixed that are not finished and [afterwards] we will have the unannounced.”
The Council informed the media of its progress during a briefing Monday, March 20, 2023 at its headquarters, Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.
Howard Newbold, Inspector and Council Member explained that the council’s seven inspectors are tasked with visiting every site or virtual space operating the following: primary/secondary schools, private/secondary, post-secondary, recognized, training, allied health and business institutions among others.
 Mr. Newbold said inspections include an examination of:
 -Safety and security standards-Human security which begins at the entrance to the property’-Physical security: safety mechanisms including smoke detectors, fire alarms and extinguishers (service date verification, and evacuation plan)-Primary grounds, playground equipment, swing sets and slides-Curriculum-Information management system (student records, staff schedules, registration certificate with NAECOB, business license, photos of the national leaders etc.)
The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Institute thanked NAECOB for their efforts. She described their work as “critical” and a part of an overall national thrust to ensure that the quality of education in the country is at a high standard.“We’re the Ministry of Education and they’re our schools. We are accountable to NAECOB. They ensure that what is happening on the campuses throughout the nation meets the physical standards and the qualitative standards of education. You would have heard classroom size and teacher/student ratio. We may have challenges, and we do at the Ministry of Education but when these issues are brought to our attention we are obliged and compelled to seek resolution to ensure that the standards are met.
“This is a quality assurance measure for the Ministry itself and our schools to ensure that public and private and public schools meet these standards. We value that. Because the objective of the Ministry is to ensure that we meet the standards so that our young people who enter these institutions are afforded the best opportunity possible.
 “Education is a cultural value; a norm. We submit ourselves to the work of NAECOB to ensuring what happens is done at least to make the acceptable standards of the delivery of education in our schools,” she said.
Cassia Minnis, registration officer, said “registration” certifies that a local educational institution/provider has met the criteria to offer an educational service in The Bahamas as outlined in the Education Act. She said it is mandatory that all educational institutions/provider offering/proposing to offer an educational service in the Bahamas must be registered according to the NAECOB Act and the Education Act.
 She said NAECOB is aware of “small” schools operating within residential homes and warned that this is in contravention of the law.
She encouraged the public to view listings of all registered institutions on the website at naecob.org
NAECOB is responsible for registering and accrediting primary schools, secondary schools, post-secondary schools, and any institution that offers training in The Bahamas.
 -30-
PHOTO CAPTIONS

BIS Photos/Mark Ford

Header: Seated at the table, from left: – Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin; Dominique McCartney Russell, Acting Director; Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer; Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson; Howard Newbold, Inspector, Council Member; Shena Williams, Council and Inspector; Dorothy Anderson, Inspector; T. Nicola McKay, Deputy Chairperson;  (seated behind) Willard Barr, Council and Inspector.

1st insert: Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson

2nd insert: Howard Newbold, Inspector and Council Member

3rd insert: The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training

4th insert: Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer

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Bahamas News

Bahamas Golden Jubilee Events Announced, Celebrations Across 33 Islands & Cays

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#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – As the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence approaches, Bahamians everywhere are teeming with excitement and expectancy around the year-long celebrations set by The National Independence Secretariat.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister joined H.E Leslia Miller Brice, Chair of The National Independence Secretariat to unveil the Calendar of Events for the 50th Independence celebrations.

The calendar comprises a host of events, initiatives and recommendations for celebrations throughout all 33 islands of The Bahamas.

At this jubilant occasion the PM stated, “Celebrating independence is about acknowledging the greatness around us, the greatness within us, and the greatness ahead of us.

We are Bahamians. That identity is special.”

View the newly released calendar of events here:

https://celebrate-bahamas.com/calendar-of-events/…

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Bahamas News

Soca Warriors crush  Bahamas at home

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By Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

 

#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors dominated the Bahamas at home, at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, for the 2022/2023 Concacaf Nations League on Friday, with a 3-0 victory.

The Soca Warriors struck their first blow within the first 5 minutes of the game, with Kareem Moses making the first shot in the top left corner of the net giving T&T one to the Bahamas’ zero (1-0).

Soon after, in about 26 minutes, they made another shot giving them 2-0 away from home; the scorer Joevin Jones. By the 34th minute mark, the winning goal was made by Ryan Telfer, T&T now at three.

Neither team scored any additional goals as the match progressed despite attempts made by various players.

Trinidad’s win gives them 12 points through five matches.  Next match for the Soca Warriors is against  Nicaragua; that clash is set for Monday March 27 (at home in Tobago at the Dwight Yorke Stadium), in a tussle of winner-take-all on the final match day.  The victor takes home a promotion to League A and a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Angus Eve, T&T’s head coach expressed that the job is only half done, keeping aware that more challenges are coming their way, one of which is the nearing match against Nicaragua who is one point ahead of the Warriors.

Meanwhile, The Bahamas will journey to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with hopes of emerging victorious there.

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