United States Secretary of States Hilary Rodham Clinton said that Caribbean women have made great advances in the United States and the Caribbean.
In a pre-recorded message, Clinton addressed the recent Caribbean Regional Colloquium on Women Leaders as Agents of Change at the Hilton, Trinidad.
In her minute-long address, Clinton said that everything must be done to ensure that Caribbean women are able to “realize their God-given potential” and contribute to all sectors of the society.
“When women prosper it not lifts them up, but also their families. Communities and even their countries,” she said.
She also noted that no society can prosper if “half of their citizens” were left behind.
Also speaking at the conference was deputy secretary general of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Ransford Smith who said one achievement Caribbean women has made which goes back in history was their leadership skills.
“Caribbean women have always held a role of leadership, particularly in the family. However, women remain under-represented at the highest levels and this must be addressed,” Smith said.
The day conference, which brought together women leaders from 16 regional countries, was the brainchild of Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Its main purpose was to promote awareness of the challenges facing women in leadership roles today and to provide adequate solutions to advance their empowerment.
