WMW Jamaica to Launch ‘I am a PowHERhouse’ campaign

Women’s Media Watch (WMW) Jamaica will on April 23 launch its ‘I am a PowHERhouse’ campaign.

According to Hilary Nicholson, founding member of WMW Jamaica, “While women have advanced in business management and participation in national governance, they continue to be excluded from higher level economic decision-making.

“As women’s educational attainment continues to increase, they represent an incredible talent pool and national resource. Women are running more businesses and consumer-spending decisions are increasingly in their hands,” Nicholson said. “Notwithstanding this, women still have to deal with a number of hurdles to reach positions of political leadership and to become CEOs and company board members.”

She said gender balance in the labour market and national governance is a major engine of growth and competitiveness.

“It is increasingly evident that utilising the skills and talents of both men and women are beneficial for enterprises and for society in general.”

Against this backdrop, the ‘I Ama PowHERhouse’ campaign seeks to stimulate and motivate all actors in Jamaica to strive to achieve greater gender equality at all levels. This will be achieved by building public awareness about the importance of gender equality, obstacles to its achievement, and changes that can be made throughout society to realise gender equality.

The two-year campaign, funded by the United Nations Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, is being supported by notable persons who lead professions that support the issues to be tackled through the ‘I am a PowHERhouse’ campaign.

Confirmed spokespersons who will aid in advancing the message and objectives of the campaign include Senator Imani Duncan-Price, Professor Rosalea Hamilton and WMW Life Member Jean Lowrie-Chin.

The campaign will incorporate a number of exciting activities including a Twitter chat and a personal video and selfie drive commencing during the week of April 20. Persons are invited to submit personal videos and/or selfies that express their support for gender equality and women in leadership on the WMW’s Facebook and Twitter pages in support of the campaign.

WMW Jamaica is a non-governmental organisation that specialises in training, advocacy and research. It uses gender aware media analysis and transformative action to cultivate gender equality, justice and violence-free social relations.