Women Leaders Share Insights to Empower Saint Lucia’s Future Female Leaders

Women leaders and aspiring young female leaders recently came together at an Intergenerational Leadership Mixer to exchange ideas on building self-empowerment and social networks to propel young women’s economic empowerment in Saint Lucia.

The event was hosted in commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025 by the Department of Gender Affairs in partnership with the UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean through the Global Affairs Canada-funded Build Back Equal Programme, DoNation Foundation, and Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa and Beach Resort.

A diverse group of women leaders and 50 female student leaders from Forms 3 and 4 met in this interactive forum at Sandals Grande, exchanging insights on leadership and what it means for girls and young women in their personal and professional development, their contributions to their communities, and their country as a whole.

Director of Gender Affairs, Janey Joseph, reminded young leaders: “Three decades ago, many women were unable to access and enjoy the opportunities available to girls like you today. Many of the women with whom you will be interacting today had to walk that lonely road, in shoes never worn by a woman before. They did not see other people like themselves in the spaces they wanted to fill. But today, students, you have this. You can see other women walking in the shoes you wish to walk in.”

The year 2025 is an important milestone, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global policy framework for the rights of women. It envisions a world where all women and girls can enjoy freedom from violence, participate fully in society, and live with dignity. This year also marks the final five years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Saint Lucia has made significant progress in women’s political representation and prioritising gender equality as a developmental goal, but there is still much work to do towards realising the aspirations of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the SDGs.

Research has shown that enrolment and access for boys and girls are equal at the primary and secondary levels. Despite achieving higher levels of education across the Caribbean (25.7 per cent of females compared to 17.3 per cent of males with tertiary education for the 25–34 age group), women face lower employment and higher unemployment rates compared to their male counterparts. Women also face greater institutional barriers to accessing finance for business start-ups and growth and bear a disproportionate responsibility for childcare and elderly care, all of which affect their decision-making in relation to economic activity.

The 2025 International Women’s Day Intergenerational Leadership Mixer aimed to strengthen young women’s capacity to participate in social, economic, and political life. The initiative also served as a foundation for increasing visibility and advocacy for equal opportunities for women’s full and effective participation—both of which are targets of the Beijing Platform for Action and SDG Goal 5 on the girl child and gender equality.

UN Women Build Back Equal Saint Lucia Project Coordination Analyst, Sacha Harris, shared insights on UN Women’s LEAP Framework, which actively engages youth, including young men, as partners in achieving gender equality.

Harris added: “The framework places emphasis on multigenerational groups working together to promote leadership, economic empowerment and action on ending violence against young women and girls. It is a collective positive youth development strategy aimed at increasing positive future outcomes for youth.”

DoNation Foundation Founder, Diane Felicien, said: “Each of us holds the power to ignite change! When we step up as volunteers, we elevate women’s voices in every space we occupy. Empowerment is not just a concept; it is a movement that begins with the actions of each one of us.”

The Intergenerational Leadership Mixer will serve as a springboard for future networking and capacity-building initiatives for young women in Saint Lucia, fostering a new generation of empowered female leaders.