News Releases

UWI Partners for Women’s Rights Rally

For Release Upon Receipt - March 6, 2018

St. Augustine


In celebration of International Women’s Day, commemorated globally on the 8th of March, The University of the West Indies St. Augustine’s Institute for Gender and Development Studies and Faculty of Law join a number of organisations to host a Solidarity Rally and Walk for Women’s Rights at the Queen’s Park Savannah (Opposite Whitehall) on Saturday 10th March, 2-5.30pm, under the theme ‘Speak Your Truth’.

According to Dr. Gabrielle Hosein, CAFRA T&T member and Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS). “Last year’s theme, ‘Women’s Rights are Everyone’s Responsibility’, highlighted equality and justice as foundational to our nation and region. This year’s theme, ‘Speak Your Truth’, empowers girls and women to fearlessly say what realities need to change so the nation and region will collectively commit to press for progress and advance social and economic rights which are yet to be guaranteed.”

Participants will gather from 2pm, and the walk around the Savannah will begin promptly at 3.30pm. Resources such as counselling services, legal advice, health services, and more will be available. The gathering space will be wheelchair accessible and the rally will include sign interpretation. If you have any specific needs, please do contact us via email at womensrightsrally@gmail.com

The rally will be hosted by Nikki Crosby and feature a short programme with dynamic speakers and musical performances. NGOs, CSOs and other organisations listed below have partnered to organise this event and issued an open invitation to the public. The group has a big bold dream of ten thousand persons one day celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) in Port of Spain, at the Queen’s Park Savannah and build upon the movement started with the 2017 Life in Leggings Solidarity Regional March which included over 20 organisations and 600 persons who brought their messages and walked around the Savannah in a daring coalition speaking out against violence and injustice.

Continuing towards achieving this dream the organizers are asking all interested persons and organisations to do the following:

1.  Encourage at least 20 persons to participate.

2.  Make and walk with messages on banners, placards, flags and/or shirts - speaking your truth.

3.  Find/bring something to make noise while we walk. (drum, shak shak, tambourine, whistle).

4.  Be ready to push off at 3.30pm but feel free to begin to gather and mingle from as early as 2 pm.

5.  Plan and walk with your own snacks and water in portable, reusable containers; zero waste is the goal.

 

Organisations and individuals are encouraged to bring concerns and messages for action and change. Persons unable to attend are invited to share solidarity messages on the International Women’s Day Trinidad and Tobago Facebook Page @IWDTrinidadandTobago or the event page for the Second Annual Women’s Rights Rally and Walk.

For further details on the event, or to indicate special needs please contact: Angelique Nixon 868-732-3543 or Tricia Basdeo 868-347-2462 or via email at womensrightrally@gmail.com

 

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The ‘Speak Your Truth’ Partners

Republic Bank, First Citizens Bank, WINAD, Family Planning Association T&T, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, British High Commission, The UWI IGDS and Faculty of Law, UN Women, T&T Olympics Organizing Committee and The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, UNESCO Associated Schools Network T&T (UNESCO ASPnet T&T), UN Women, Wholeness and Wellness Counselling Services, 868 Change, Soroptimists International, 2 Cents Movement, CAFRA T&T, CAISO, Deaf Empowerment and Advancement Foundation (DEAF), Fire Circle TT, Friends for Life T&T, I Am One TT, InterClub, Mamatoto Resource and Birth Centre, Mothers Union, Network of NGOs, Office of the Prime Minister, Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago, Say Something T&T, Silver Lining Foundation, T&T Transgender Coalition, The UWI, Faculty of Law, The UWI, IGDS Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), T&T Patriots for Justice, UWI Student Socialist Conference, Wholeness and Wellness Counselling Services, WOMANTRA, Women Everywhere, Working Women, others.

 

About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. The UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. Website: www.uwi.edu

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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