Bahamas News

Social Services Minister Calls on UN to Partner with Bahamas

Published

6 years ago

October 30, 2018

#Nassau, October 30, 2018 – Bahamas – The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, called on the United Nations System to partner with The Commonwealth of The Bahamas in its quest to improve protection of the rights of women and girls.

“Allow me to also recall the number of challenges highlighted throughout today’s dialogue and to invite you and the United Nations System to partner with us through the provision of technical assistance in order to bolster our efforts in the protection of the rights of women and girls,” he said.

The following areas of interest for assistance were highlighted:

-training for members of the judiciary on CEDAW;

-strengthening the organizational capacity of civil society;

-harnessing the leadership achieved by women in public life toward sustainable avenues for women’s progress;

-implementation of the National Gender Policy and National Gender-Based Violence Plan;

-dis-aggregated data collection, analysis and reporting

Minister Campbell made the appeal at the closing session of the 71st Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women [the Sixth Periodic State Report of The Bahamas under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women] (CEDAW), Thursday, October 25, 2018. A Bahamian delegation represented The Bahamas at UN CEDAW, which is ongoing in Geneva, Switzerland, October 22 to November 9, 2018.

He expressed profound gratitude on behalf of The Government of The Bahamas for the opportunity to present to CEDAW an overview of its efforts in the implementation of CEDAW. He emphasized that the preparatory process for the review involved an “extensive” and “diverse” set of representatives across sectors of government and civil society including representatives from the differently-abled community.

Special thanks was extended to the Most Honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis; the inter-sectorial CEDAW preparatory Task Force; previous Ministers of Social Services namely the Hon. Lanisha Rolle and Melanie Griffin; Gaynell Curry and Christine Campbell, former Directors; and UN entities; toMadam Dalia Leinarte, Chairperson; and the CEDAW Committee.

“Indeed, we hope to be able to report to you, at our next review, the additional progress made toward the full implementation of the CEDAW in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. I also wish to reiterate my earlier invitation to you to come to The Bahamas to see, first hand, what we are doing.

“As I stated at the outset, the achievement of gender equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women is a journey and not a destination. Nevertheless, I assure you that The Bahamas is fully committed to walking this important path with courage and with stamina,” said Minister Campbell.

In her concluding comments, Madam Leinarte thanked the experts for their questions and comments, and the State Party for the explanations and responses provided during the dialogue.

Release: BIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Marion Bethel, the first female Bahamian expert CEDAW Committee member, is pictured with The Bahamas 2018 delegation to UN CEDAW. Also shown (front row) from left is Frank Davis, Charge d’Affaires, Deputy Permanent Representative, Geneva; Dr. Jacinta Higgs, Director and The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development. Other members of the delegation are pictured along with NGO representatives.

First Insert: Pictured from left: The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development; Dr. Jacinta Higgs, Director, Gender and Family Affairs, Jewel Major, Chief Counsel, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs; Sharmaine Sinclair, Assistant Director, Ministry of Education. Back row: Celsus Williams, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Alicia Gibson, Assistant Counsel, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Second Insert: The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, is pictured with staff of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs and representatives from local non-governmental organizations in attendance at UN CEDAW 2018. From left: Melvelyn Symonette, First Assistant Secretary; Virginia Campbell, Pilot Club of Nassau and civil society Bahamas; Alicia Wallace, Equality Bahamas; Minister Campbell, Noelle Nicolls, Bahamas Crisis Centre; Dr. Jacinta Higgs, Director; and Erin Green, Rights Bahamas.

Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

1 hour ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

C&W COMMUNICATIONS PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED AS ATHLETES “CHASE THE SUN”

Published

6 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

World Relays to be title sponsored by BTC, one of C&W’s local brands.

In just a few days, athletes from over fifty countries will converge in The Bahamas for the BTC World Athletic Relays Bahamas 24. C&W Communications, the parent company of BTC, is proud to be associated with this major event, which will see athletes from The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago competing for a place in the upcoming Olympic games in Paris.

Inge Smidts, CEO of C&W Communications, who also serves as Chair of the BTC Board of Directors will be in the stands to witness the highly anticipated relays. Smidts says, this was an event that she simply could not miss. “We are proud to support our Caribbean athletes, and we wish them well as they vie for a spot in the Olympic games.

The relays will be held one of in our markets, The Bahamas, and we are honoured to be the title sponsor of the event. The world relays represent the spirit of relentless courage and the willingness to succeed of the Caribbean people and of our business. Through partnerships like this we demonstrate our unwavering commitment to connect communities and change lives.”

In addition to its sponsorship of the event, Smidts says it was important that athletes, officials, and fans stayed connected during the games. “As a business we are focused on ensuring that our customers have access to faster, stronger, and more reliable connectivity, and we worked with our partners to make certain that athletes and guests remain connected.

We have offered e-sim cards, and we also worked with the major hotels to set up care centers to ensure that we address any connectivity concerns on the spot. Additionally, I am pleased to announce that BTC will provide free Wi-Fi at the stadium giving patrons and athletes the opportunity to share every riveting moment.”

BTC has hosted a special event just for the Caribbean athletes, at the newly renovated Queen’s Staircase in Nassau, a recently renovated historic landmark visited by thousands of tourists each day. This event gave athletes the opportunity to unwind, mingle, and to learn more about each other right before the competition.

This is the fourth time that BTC and its parent company C&W Communications have title sponsored the world relays. The BTC World Athletic Relays will be held at the Thomas A. Robinson Track & Field Stadium from May 4-5, under the theme, “Chase the Sun, from Paradise to Paris.”

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

6 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.