In the British High Commission we’re celebrating International Women’s Day 2016 in a number of ways. Including inviting some inspiring women from T&T to share with us their stories and by encouraging our staff to shadow each other, stepping into each other’s shoes to see life from a different perspective.
Personally this matters to me for a number of reasons.
As a father, as well as a son, I’m blessed to have a daughter. I’ve tried to bring her up to be strong, independent-minded and knowing her strengths, so she can make her way in what is a tough, competitive world. But my responsibilities go beyond this, to doing also what I can to shape today’s workplace. So that tomorrow’s workplace offers the women of my daughter’s generation greater equality of opportunity and respect.
As a leader, I need my teams to reach the best judgments on the approaches we take and the policies we put in place to develop Britain’s partnership with the people and government of T&T. That my senior leadership team is composed equally of men and women is not due to some neat or rigidly imposed quota system. It’s because it works. It means we can bring together the widest set of perspectives available, looking at issues from different angles. Simply, we can make better decisions.
As a diplomat, dealing with international conflict for much of my career, in the Bosnia conflict, in the revolutions of the Middle East and North Africa, I have seen some shocking oppression of women. At its most extreme the use of sexual violence in conflict, but also the damaging denial of the rights of women to have a political voice, to enjoy independence through equal opportunity, to be able to shape their futures.
T&T has made some significant strides in gender equality over the past 10 years, thanks at least in part to the work of organisations such as the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women. But media stories here daily remind us of the challenges still faced by women in this country, including domestic abuse and violence.
So as we celebrate International Women’s Day 2016, what are you doing to mark this event or to progress women’s rights in T&T?
British High Commissioner,
Tim Stew