Awards ceremonies are such a glamorous affair. Celebration, shimmering outfits, smiles all around. It’s easy to look at the level of support at the International Women’s Forum of Trinidad and Tobago’s (IWFTT) Inspirational Women Awards and forget that the people being celebrated would have started off their journey much more quietly. Their support would have been not so glamorous, but instead fuelled by an internal resolve to make a difference.
For this year’s awardees, Dr Catherine Minto-Bain, Suzan Lakhan-Baptiste and Maya Kirti Nanan, their paths have one unifying core: observing a need within their communities and becoming the change they wanted to see.
Minto-Bain, recipient of the Inspirational Champion of Women Award, describes herself as a “detective”, not the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of a fertility specialist, obstetrician and gynaecologist.
“Being a fertility nurse, doctor, or scientist is very much being a detective and figuring out what’s going on,” she says. For the past 25 years, she has supported families on their fertility journeys. “I love helping patients understand what’s causing their infertility.”
Another descriptor she is proud of is her role as teacher. Of her 20 staff, 19 are women and her goal is to help them along their own career journeys. This drive to mentor the next generation of women is what led her to teach at The UWI when she first arrived in Trinidad in 2004.
“I taught at UWI for 15 years. I was a lecturer in the [Obstetrics and Gynaecology] Department [in the Faculty of Medical Sciences],” she says.
When Minto-Bain found out that she had gotten the award, her first instinct was to reach out to some of the people she mentors. “I was trained and taught by so many amazing doctors over the years. To be able to give back to others, particularly to women, is so great.”
For Lisa Agard, President of the T&T Chapter of the IWF, building these community networks of support is central to what they do.
“Really, our purpose as enshrined in our bylaws is to unite, inspire, and celebrate accomplished women advancing exemplary leadership, championing equality, and empowering and elevating the next generation of women leaders in our country.”
When we spoke, it was amidst a flurry of activity as she prepared for the 2025 Inspirational Women Awards Gala (held on September 30). But her excitement was palpable as she talked about the work being done by Minto-Bain and her fellow awardees, Suzan Lakhan-Baptiste and Maya Kirti Nanan.
Lakhan-Baptiste, whose unfaltering work in conservation earned her the moniker of “crazy turtle woman” and the Inspirational Advocate Award, has spent the last three decades protecting the leatherback turtle population in T&T, particularly on Matura Beach.
“We knew that if nothing changed this endangered species could disappear forever,” she says. But through her team’s ducation efforts, reaching out to the community and even to poachers to help them understand the ecological importance of turtles, they changed the face of Matura.
“It wasn’t easy... but through consistent outreach, data collection, and enforcing a permit system, we helped transform Matura Beach from a turtle ‘graveyard’ into a maternity ward.”
Working alongside her community has meant not only focusing her attention on the turtles, but also opening doors for others.
“As a woman working in a field traditionally seen as a man’s domain, I’m proud that today more than half of our office and field staff are female leaders,” says Lakhan Baptiste.
But the younger generation are not just waiting for doors to be opened. Maya Kirti Nanan, one of the youngest ever recipients of the Inspirational Emerging Leader Award, was drawn to outreach work from childhood. “When I was just 12 years old, I founded the Autism Siblings and Friends Network (ASFN),” she says. “At the time, I wanted to create a space where young people like myself, siblings, friends, and allies, could come together, share experiences, and support one another while also learning how to be advocates and youth leaders.”
A graduate of The UWI Open campus, for the past three years, her work has grown into an organisation known as Rahul’s Clubhouse — named after her brother.
“My journey in advocacy began with my younger brother, who is on the autism spectrum. Growing up alongside him opened my eyes to the challenges that children with autism and their families face every day... He remains at the heart of everything I do. My goal is simple but powerful: to build a world where every child, regardless of ability, feels seen and valued, and has the chance to thrive.”
