AS March draws to a close, marking the end of another Women’s Month, we can acknowledge real progress around gender advancements as a country, while we also confront the undeniable truth that the work is far from complete.

There is much to commend, of course. Under the leadership of Gender Minister Olivia Grange, the development of more gender-inclusive policies to advance women’s rights, including ensuring a lifeline for the vulnerable through safe spaces for victims, has been consistent with evolving global standards and forward-looking policies.

A full review of the Domestic Violence Act is also under way, supported by expanded women’s shelters, intervention centres, and 24-hour hotlines.

Grange’s work has reflected a more holistic understanding of women’s needs, and this year’s observance of International Women’s Day, led locally by the Bureau of Gender Affairs, further reinforced the urgency of ensuring help and access for the vulnerable.

Women’s Day themes, both global and locally, spoke to action, justice, and the amplification of women’s voices. Through month-long community engagements, dialogue, and targeted interventions by the bureau, the message was clear, that addressing gender-based violence and changing cultural perceptions require not just awareness, but active societal participation, and also recognition of the stalwarts who have been advocating for other women.

And so, the month also made space to honour those women who have carried the gender baton for years. Advocates Aloun Ndombet-Assamba and changemakers Jacqueline Dillon, Joy Crawford, and Joyce Hewitt were recognised by Jamaica Aids Support for Life last Thursday as a reminder that progress is often the result of sustained and sometimes deeply personal advocacy by committed women, whose work helped shift conversations once held in silence into the public domain.

But even as we celebrate these gains, we can’t yet declare victory, especially as the country still grapples, too often, with violence against women and children. The very need for additional shelters, for emergency relocation networks, and for continued public education campaigns points to the reality that gender-based violence remains a significant issue in Jamaica that demands more than temporary attention during March.

Sustained, year-round action is crucial, especially as cultural attitudes continue to pose one of the greatest barriers towards change. As highlighted continually by gender advocates, there are still harmful beliefs around entitlement and control that fuel abuse and inequality. Changing laws is necessary, but changing mindsets is imperative.

What Women’s Month 2026 has shown is that Jamaica’s policymakers, women’s advocates, and lawmakers are not standing still. They may not be hoisting placards in the streets as the activists in the women’s movement decades ago did as they demanded equality and protested for women’s rights, but there is movement that’s measured, meaningful, and in some cases transformative.

However, progress is not a destination, it is a process. As we close out the month, the challenge is clear about the need to carry the momentum forward, and to ensure that the conversations sparked, the initiatives launched, and the commitments made do not fade with March.

Women’s empowerment cannot be seasonal; it must be structural, cultural, and continuous. Just because we are making gains doesn’t mean the work is done.