Phenomenal Women’s Symposium gets underway

Participants at the opening of the symposium

A day designed to inspire women of all ages and to celebrate the successes of women both locally and regionally got underway at the Cabrits National Park on Saturday morning.

This is the fourth time the Phenomenal Women’s Symposium is being held.

Minister of Gender Affairs, Gloria Shillingford, described it as timely. “I think the time is also well chosen; there couldn’t be a better time for such a worthwhile activity than early in the New Year,” she said a while delivering the keynote address at the opening. “We live in a rapidly changing world and women must either keep in step or left behind. I’m sure that we all recognize the total dependency on men is gone, the time for women to be housebound is gone.”

Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Rosie Brown in her welcome remarks, said this year a new dimension has been added to the symposium’s agenda.

“This year, unlike the three previous, Phenomenal Caribbean Women’s Symposium (PCWS), we have included an added dimension which will allow participants to discuss the national Policy of Gender Equity and quality for Dominica,” she stated.

The National Gender Policy provides the framework for dealing with concerns of women and men in national development. It seeks to integrate a gender perspective in all government programs and plans with specific focus on the following six key thematic areas being: education and human resource development; the economy; health and medicine; political decision making; family; sexual and gender based violence; stereotypes, cultural beliefs and practices.

President of the Dominica National Council of Women, Vanya David, encouraged women to dream ‘big dreams’ and be their children’s protectors.

“At a time when some of our young girls are engaging in deviant behavior, our young boys are engaging in violent conduct let us step up  and be our children’s protectors and work to prepare our children for healthy, physical and social relationships,” she stressed.

Gloria Walsh, Sharon Martini, Karen Hinds and Annette St. Hillaire will tell their personal life experiences as part of the day’s event.

The symposium, which is being held in partnership with the Burreau of Gender affairs for the second year, has as its theme ‘What you can conceive you can achieve, because God has the power to deliver what he promises’.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

32 Comments

  1. me
    January 28, 2013

    DNO, for such a grand, important, significant, timely event, that I know Dr. Valda Henry and the staff of VF Inc have been working so tirelessly to host for the past four years, I am disappointed that D Henry and her team’s hardwork was so blatantly disregarded, and that not even the proper name of the event was used. It was the , 4th “Phenomenal Caribbean Women” symposium.

    Come on DNO, this is the brainchild of VF Inc, how could whoever wrote that story forget/ignore or disregard that critical fact?

    Congratulations to Dr. Henry and VF Inc for another great event.

  2. 2 simple
    January 28, 2013

    the male side is interested in either fighting or going to the so call mother land….>>>gwada

    that is why the women are in the forefront

  3. Phenomenal
    January 28, 2013

    Some of you have no idea what this Symposium is about. It has nothing to do with bashing MEN, if anything men are being praised. This symposium is persons giving their live experiences, for person who think they have it hard in life they realizes that what they are going through is nothing compared to what some of these people has been through.

  4. 1
    January 28, 2013

    :lol:

  5. Donk
    January 27, 2013

    I have been married 14 years and cannnot remmeber the last time I have come home from work and meet any food cook in the house that i did not cook myself before leaving. She maybe too busy in her symposium.

    • concerned
      January 28, 2013

      so what, those times are done. you did not marry a servant. At least your mother taught how to cook so you do not starve. lol

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      It’s your choice to have a household where only you cook…I’d prefer one where my significant other and I have a partnership in all areas of our life.

    • Attendee
      January 28, 2013

      Donk, so sorry to hear that you’ve been left hungry for 14 years. If your wife is actually at home and only you go to work then absolutely no excuse. On the other hand if you both work, then I suppose doing it by turns helps. Afterall, marriage is supposed to be a partnership, not a series of roles to be fulfilled…that arrangement they call the police force or army!

  6. Muslim_Always
    January 27, 2013

    Praises be to the Most High, our people on here can recognize the stench of feminism and male domination a mile away!

    Gloria Shillingford says, “We live in a rapidly changing world and women must either keep in step or left behind. I’m sure that we all recognize the total dependency on men is gone, the time for women to be housebound is gone.”

    This woman doesn’t understand the beauty and honor in raising and taking care of a child at home. Why would one prefer to hire a nanny while the mother is the perfect nanny? Gloria is silly, she doesn’t even understand the root of juvenile delinquency is the absent of children’s nurturing? When the t.v babysits the children what do we expect? This woman

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      And what would you tell the women who need to work to support their families? To keep them clothed and fed?

      I’m not a fan of nannies, babysitters, or day cares either – but it’s a choice and a preference. I prefer leaving children with relatives.

  7. Candominican
    January 27, 2013

    Can u imagine a society with only powerful women?. i would cut my manly knots and join in because men as we know it would become something of the past. We need to talk about gender equality- not singularity. We need to promote the role of men, not isolate them. May be, just may be, one day, transvestites will have their symposium right where in Dominica and am wondering what will these feminine movements do- women , you all should be home,not at the Cabrits, preparing the meals when man gets home from work to a feast and lovely dinner cat with the family, then and only then, such a waste of energy would rightfully deserve recognition

    • concerned
      January 28, 2013

      While I agree with you on some points – equal gender- I sense that you are scared of women becoming powerful around you. Why don’t you all the men stay home now, prepare dinner for wifey when she gets home from work, raise the kids, take them out to their weekly activities? they would love it.
      Try that for a month see how nice it is.
      I beleive now that women staying home to take care of children and home should have a salary- as being a mother, a wife -is a very hard job.

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      Your post was a waste of energy and here is your rightfully deserve recognition – I hope there isn’t a woman who has to suffer through your idiocracy…
      also where you should be – is back on your meds

    • Attendee
      January 28, 2013

      Wished you attended. There was no male bashing, no female exultation, no feminist movement. Just a groups of females in the same space at the same time. Listening and learning how to better ourselves and our familes and country by extension. Was a wonderful, relaxing day.

      Men congregate in bars all the time…wouldn’t say?

    • Attendee
      January 28, 2013

      These comments just reconfirms for us that we NEED to continue this symposium. Thanks fellas for keeping us strong.

  8. (.) (.)
    January 26, 2013

    :-D women taking over in Dominica

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      Not necessarily, we’re just trying to bridge the gap and build a partnership that will allow us to work towards the betterment of all. Unfortunately, there will always be extremists.

  9. J Vidal
    January 26, 2013

    I’m loving it.. Keep up the good work. I’m looking forward to being a participant next year. :lol:

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      Me too!

  10. Inquirer
    January 26, 2013

    I would love to see survivors of child abuse, domestic violence etc speak at some of these Phenomenal Women’s Symposiums. How Phenomenal would it be without the inclusion of such brave women.
    There is a friend of mine who resides in the US and speak openly about the childhood ills she experienced under her family while she lived in Dominica, I have heard her call the hot seat on many occassions and even name one of her abusers…………….. Such stories should be told and these are the types of people i would like to pay my money to hear give their life experiences. Stop the double standards.

    • Inquirer
      January 26, 2013

      DNO, What type of coward media organization are you?? It is a fact that my friend was abused on the island and you chose to delete the part where I listed it. Why done you ask the nurse about that she will dock all your questions. Media should not hold sides, not be cowards. Facts are very stubborn animals.

  11. G
    January 26, 2013

    God Bless the women….

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      God bless us all.

  12. Anonymous
    January 26, 2013

    Congratulations!

  13. Drlee
    January 26, 2013

    A better title would be; “Women that want to walk on man Symposium”. These women don’t want equality or empowerment, our society gave that to women long ago (Phyllis Shand Allfrey,Dame Eugenia charles, Alix Boyd Knight, Vernice Belony, Doreen Paul, etc) they want Domination. There are more women than men in management and supervisory positions in Dominica. Check the facts.
    Now I await the onslaught of the Phenomenal B— crushers. :)

    • Anonymous
      January 26, 2013

      @Driee have you ever wondered why more women are in supervisory and management positions? Its because men refuse to go to school or push themselves. Women dont juat want to domininate, men give them no choice but to take the reins. Check any organization in Dominica see who makes up the majority, can you blame womnen for not letting the country fall by the way side? Check who has the country falling on its face!

      • Drlee
        January 28, 2013

        I would be the first to agree with you that alot of men have their issues and I am telling you as a man that I would prefer to hire Women in management and supervisory positions because most men seem to bring only oversized egos to these positions.

        My point is why all the talk about empowerment etc when you have had the power for soo long. Why not just live as equals with respect for each other.

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      Would you prefer we wait for some men to decide to pick themselves up while civilization slowly erodes away? And you’re deluded if you think there are not still women being oppressed.

      “Phenomenal B— crushers” – how dare you call these women out of their name?

  14. Kamchatka
    January 26, 2013

    A disguised feminist movement convention y’all. Read between the lines – observe carefully.

    • January 27, 2013

      i reading i reading…

    • Alright..
      January 28, 2013

      A woman wants to achieve things in her life and she’s a feminist.

      • Kamchatka
        January 28, 2013

        @Alright.. – It seems as if you would not have been able to achieve anything if these conventions were not held……smh……….

        I hope wise women with common sense stayed away from dat nonsense.

        “What you can conceive you can achieve, because God has the power to deliver what he promises” was the theme for the ‘conference’. What kind of a theme is that?

        – Was the whatever you can conceive necessarily a promise from God? Who told you so?

        Why people like to take God name and twist it into their nonsense naahhh……………

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available