Jamaica Information Service (JIS) employees, who benefited from a recent sexual harassment sensitisation session, say they are now more aware about what constitutes harassment, how it can manifest in the workplace, and what to do if they experience or witness harassment. The session was conducted by the Sexual Harassment Investigation Unit in the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), a division...

Every Jamaican girl must feel strong, confident and capable of protecting herself by learning basic self-defence techniques. That’s the view of reigning Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2023, Aundrene Cameron, who recently launched her official Queen Project, titled, ‘Girls Who Fight Back”. “It will also teach girls how to assess their surroundings and how to ensure their safety as much as...

In a heartwarming gesture to give back to their home country, the Jamaica Women of Florida (JWOF) recently made a significant contribution of US$12,500 to the Montego Bay Community Home for Girls in St. James. The cheque was handed over during a special ceremony at the home at Spring Farm in Rose Hall. The home’s Operations Manager, Yvette Mahoney, and...

Newly elected President of the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC), Dr. Evette Smith Johnson, believes in creating a safe environment for women in the maritime industry where they can share, air their concerns and be given room to grow. This, she tells JIS News, should be done in tandem with the umbrella vision that the International Maritime Organization (IMO)...

Twenty phenomenal women who have made significant contributions to the field of agricultural education were awarded by the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), on Wednesday (June 14). The presentations were made at the entity’s ‘Women in Agriculture’ Conference, held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston, under the theme ‘From Boots to Heels’. Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval...

When she’s not out in the field tending to her animals or in front of a classroom full of eager students, National Farm Queen for 2022, Sutanya Ellington, can be found advocating for the equitable advancement of women in agriculture. Since taking the coveted crown last summer at the Denbigh Agricultural Industrial Food Show, the Manchester native has built a...

Several key government agencies are collaborating with international bodies to deliver improved services to victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Through the Intersectoral and Interagency Referral and Protocol and Standard Procedures for Continuum Care for Survivors of GBV, the Bureau of Gender Affairs is leading the cooperation to ensure that the service delivery efforts for women and girls is...

When Andreen Rose-Cephas got pregnant at age 16 while attending a prominent high school in Kingston in 1987, she was devastated. “I didn’t know what to do, where to turn and a lot of things kept going through my mind initially when I found out,” she recalls in an interview with JIS News. Mrs. Rose-Cephas, who is the youngest of...

Executive Director of the Scientific Research Council (SRC), Dr. Charah Watson, is on a mission to get more women in science recognised for their work. Although she has stumbled across many limitations, she remains resolute in her efforts to bring about change. “My motivation is intrinsic. I am very goal oriented. I set goals, both professional and personal, which are...