Kingston, 12 February 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that the contribution of women is vital to achieving sustainable development, peaceful and secure communities and poverty eradication.

The Minister declared that there is an “overwhelming body of evidence showing the undeniable connection between women’s economic participation and prosperity."

Minister Grange made the comments in her address at the Second Women of the Diaspora Summit on Thursday (yesterday).

The online Summit focused on economic equity for women and girls.

According to Minister Grange, “The entire society benefits when women can completely access their rights; have equal access to and control over productive resources, including land, labour and capital; and are able to shape digital, financial and property products, services and policies.”

The Minister reaffirmed Jamaica’s commitment to continue to “remove obstacles that prevent women from contributing to economic activity, especially as we begin the process of building back stronger from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic.”

Minister Grange said that the Government continues to “invest in education and training and providing grants and other types of funding to put women on the path to economic independence.”

The Gender Minister also spoke of efforts to: eliminate violence against women through the National Strategic Action Plan; provide greater protection for especially vulnerable women through the amendment of legislation; and ensure that women play a greater role in decision-making in keeping with National Policy for Gender Equality which requires a minimum of 30 per cent of either gender represented on Government of Jamaica boards of management.

The Second Women of the Diaspora Summit was organised by the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network, the Republic of Costa Rica, the United Nations Population Fund and UN Women.

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