WOMEN’S groups from across the island will air their views on issues that are of concern to them, at a national consultation today at the Stella Maris Pastoral Centre in Kingston.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has been invited to the meeting.

Dr Glenda Simms, Advisor to the prime minister on Gender Issues and Women’s Affairs, told JIS News that the meeting would focus on topics such as violence against women and girls, which was a major issue in the society.

“We are also going to look at the economic empowerment of women, especially poor women. We also intend to look at the issue of governance; this is to ensure that we understand that gender equality is key to the kind of governance that we seek, if we are going to transform the society into a more productive, just, and peaceful society,” she said.

Simms noted that the consultation, which would take the form of a workshop, would bring together women from all socio-economic backgrounds not only to discuss issues that were affecting them but also to find solutions to the problems.

“It is not just a consultation for talking but it is also action-oriented as we will look at solutions that can be implemented right away. They (participants) are going to be asked to establish a time-frame to address these problems,” she said.

Added Simms: “we are hoping to attract about 200 women from a wide cross-section of the population, so we are tapping into the established women’s group, the professional women’s group, the

inner-city women and the rural women, poor women, middle-class women, young women and senior citizens”.

Simms said that following today’s meeting, a report would be presented to the prime minister.