KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has announced the naming of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation’s annual lecture in honour of Pamela McNeil, the first executive director of the Women’s Centre.

The third staging of the Women’s Centre annual lecture on adolescent pregnancy is titled, “Adolescent Pregnancy: Reducing the Rate within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic” and will be held tomorrow at 2:00 pm.

“For 20 years Mrs McNeil served with a sense of passion and perseverance. She worked tirelessly to help young women to overcome the setbacks caused by teenage pregnancy. She was a visionary who saw it as her purpose to take an active part in assisting teenage mothers to carry on with their education and realise their dreams. The naming of the annual lecture will honour her memory and contribution,” Grange said.

The ministry said Minister of State Alando Terrelonge will make an address while the lecture will be delivered by Dr Denise Chevannes, HIV & AIDS Officer, United Nations Population Fund Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean.

The ministry said other participants include the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the National Family Planning Board and the Bureau of Gender Affairs.

Through the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, the ministry administers the programme for adolescent mothers which is delivered from ten main centres and seven outreach stations across the island. More than 49,000 adolescent mothers have benefitted from the programme which combines academic, counselling, and skills training.