Members of the PNM Women's League
TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: March 04, 2008
Posted: March 07, 2008
The People's National Movement National Women's League held their International Women's Day Celebrations Breakfast Seminar on Tuesday 4th March, 2008, at the Crowne Plaza, Port of Spain. The programme, which officially began at 8.40 a.m., started with registration and breakfast followed by a formal beginning with the National Anthem led by former Laventille West MP, Eulalie James. Following this was the opening invocation by Ms. Kelly Simmons who, dressed in white African garb, symbolically anointed the room, dancing, with clay jar in hand, to one of Miriam Makeba's songs.
The Mayor of Port of Spain, Alderman Murchison Brown, and the Attorney General, Senator Bridgette Annisette-George, strolled into the Calypso Room, floor twelve of the hotel, at eight minutes after the hour of seven to a room that was not yet full. Mayor Brown was one of perhaps three males who were present at the gathering amongst the hundreds of females in attendance.
International Women's Day, which is celebrated all over the world on March 8th by many, including international bodies such as the United Nations. This day is meant to advocate female empowerment and to remind women about the struggles that women endured to be on equal footing with males. This holiday was first observed in 1909 when Socialist International met in the United States on 28th February by the Socialist Party of America and was internationalized in 1910 when the Socialist International met in Copenhagen. The ambition of the holiday during the early 1900s was to promote universal adult suffrage that would have allowed females the right to vote. Subsequent aims of the holiday was to demand the right for females to work outside the home, the right to attain vocational training and to end discrimination in the workplace.
The March 8th day of celebration is also of historical significance. Females, taking an active role in the politics of Russia went on strike for "bread and peace" in 1917, protesting against poor economic conditions there. This was a momentous occasion because it was the first stage of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Czar subsequently abdicated the throne which had led to the provisional government granting women the right to vote. The March 8th date according to the Gregorian calendar read as 23rd February on the Julien calendar which was then used in Russia. We celebrate the date based on the Gregorian calendar system.
At 7.35 a.m., the breakfast sharing had begun with hearty meals containing an assortment of fruits such as watermelons, pastries such as stuffed croissants and pies and typical breakfast meals such as bake, eggs and bacon served with a choice of tea or juice.
After breakfast, Penelope Beckles introduced Lady Vice Chairman of the PNM Women's League, Mrs. Magna Williams Smith who invited the audience to stand and warmly embrace their friends and fellow PNM members in the room. After hugs, handshakes and kisses were shared, she continued by thanking all for attending their fifth annual Women's League Breakfast Seminar. Williams-Smith then outlined the historical significance of the occasion which she said was first celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago in 1958. She then went on to compliment Prime Minister Patrick Manning for having more than thirty percent female Members of Parliament, who, she pointed out, are in leading government ministries that were traditionally dominated by males, numbering eight in Cabinet. She also mentioned that two out of the four Deputy Political leaders are female: Nafessa Mohammed who is responsible for policy matters, and the ex-minister of community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs and Ambassador, Joan Yuille-Williams who is responsible for party and elections.
Williams-Smith mentioned that the theme of this year's International Women's Day celebration was "Financing for Gender Equality" but the PNM Women's League theme was "Financing for Equality - Investment and Women" which she elaborated on.
Nafessa Mohammed then brought greetings on behalf of the PNM. She said that she was speaking at a time when the balsier symbol seemed to be a problem for some but like the baliser that she planted in front of her home, the PNM remains ever-blooming. She said in her brief address that the waterfront project, which could be seen from the Crowne Plaza shows what dedication and commitment to a vision can do for a people. She also spoke about the Ginger Bread house around the Savannah which she believes should be preserved as a national monument to preserve part of our history and should be discussed among PNM peers.
Hazel Brown, Head of the Network of NGO's for Women brought greetings on behalf of the organization and paid tribute to Christina Lewis who was instrumental in the celebration of the holiday in Trinidad and Tobago.
Giving the feature address was Ms. Odetta Alexander who spoke on behalf of Senator Dr. Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, Minister of Planning, Housing & the Environment who proposed that females develop themselves to their fullest potential.
Introduced by Nafessa Mohammed as one of the most powerful women in Trinidad and Tobago, ex-Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, and Ambassador, Her Excellency Joan Yuille-Williams spoke of the 20/20 goal for equal opportunity and treatment for all which she said is already in progress. Yuille-Williams who is working extensively at the reorganisation of the PNM for the upcoming local government elections as well as the party's national convention in June, also commended the other political parties for their promotion of women in the past general elections. She encouraged the females present to support the womenfolk in the upcoming local government elections.
Also speaking were Haitian guests, Cemefhise Gilles, Senator in the Haitian government and Gueneda Benjamin who translated on her behalf who expressed that she was proud to see women in Trinidad and Tobago in leadership roles.
The ceremony ended with Mrs. Eulalie James giving a vote of thanks hoping that all would return for this gathering next year.
PNM Women's League Breakfast Seminar in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=226458
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