Wives of Diplomats Tour Centre for Adolescent Mothers
By: , February 11, 2017The Key Point:
Photo: Spouses of diplomats visit a classroom at the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation WCJF) during a tour of the facility in St. Andrew on February 8. They were accompanied Executive Director of the WCJF, Dr. Zoe Simpson 2nd right). The visit of the spouses was part of activities for Diplomatic Week 2017, which runs from February 5 to 10 under the theme ‘Growth through Partnerships’.
Executive Director of the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF), Dr. Zoe Simpson (left), briefs spouses of diplomats about the work of the centre, ahead of a tour of the facility in St. Andrew on February 8. Seated at right is Director, Policy and Research, Bureau of Women’s Affairs, Sharon Coburn Robinson. The spouses’ visit to the centre was part of activities for Diplomatic Week 2017, which runs from February 5 to 10 under the theme: ‘Growth through Partnerships’.The Facts
- Girls 17 years and under who become pregnant while still attending school are referred to the centre, which addresses problems of interrupted education and other social issues that occur when an adolescent girl drops out of school because of pregnancy.
- The visit was part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade’s Diplomatic Week 2017 activities being held under the theme: ‘Growth through Partnerships.’
The Full Story
The spouses of non-resident High Commissioners and Ambassadors recently visited the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF), 42 Trafalgar Road, St. Andrew, to gain insights into the programme for adolescent mothers.
Girls 17 years and under who become pregnant while still attending school are referred to the centre, which addresses problems of interrupted education and other social issues that occur when an adolescent girl drops out of school because of pregnancy.
The visit was part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade’s Diplomatic Week 2017 activities being held under the theme: ‘Growth through Partnerships.’
At the centre, WCJF’s Executive Director, Dr. Zoe Simpson, welcomed the spouses of diplomats from Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Colombia, France and Japan, before making a presentation on centre’s history and delivery of the programme for adolescent mothers.
The spouses expressed admiration for the work of the WCJF and shared how their own countries treat with adolescent pregnancy.
Director of Policy and Research, Bureau of Gender Affairs, Sharon Coburn Robinson, who represented the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, said the work of the women’s centre is aligned with the Ministry’s strategic priorities of human development and social inclusion.
“It is the Minister’s firm belief that adolescent mothers must be provided with all the necessary support needed to help them continue and complete their secondary education,” she noted.
Mrs. Robinson said that the Ministry ensures that the centre is enabled to empower the girls “to become citizens of whom this country can be proud.”
She thanked the spouses of diplomats for visiting the facility, noting that “your presence is indicative of your own interest in the welfare and well-being of adolescent mothers.”
The spouses also toured the WCJF’s latest initiative, the Adolescent Resource Centre, which is a youth-friendly space that provides a wide variety of therapies and health services to encourage a healthy and fulfilling adolescent life.