Financial Literacy Workshop to Empower Rural Women

Residents of Ocho Rios and surrounding communities in St. Ann are being invited to participate in a financial literacy workshop on Wednesday (October 23) at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Under the theme ‘Preserving your Financial Future’, the event is being organised by the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) a division of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, in partnership with the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers and other entities.

The event is one of several activities from October 5 to 25, to observe International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) 2024.

Observed annually on October 15, IDRW is a celebration of rural women and girls, their contribution to the enhancement of rural life and the role they play in the elimination of poverty and supporting their families and communities.

Principal Director of the BGA, Sharon Coburn Robinson, told JIS News that the Government is committed to the financial and holistic empowerment of rural women through various programmes and initiatives.

She said research by the BGA has shown that some persons become victims of violence because of economic dependency.

“They don’t have the autonomy that they need and may not be in a job that allows them to earn and support themselves and their families. Because of this dependency on their partner, or multiple partners, it sometimes leads to situations of violence,” she pointed out.

“So, we want to ensure that they have financial literacy at their fingertips and are aware of how to become financially independent,” she added.

IDRW 2024 activities commenced with a sustainability hike at the Gourie Forest Management Area in Christiana, Manchester, on October 5, followed by National Tree-Planting Day activities on October 7 at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation in Mandeville, Manchester, and at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Spanish Town, St. Catherine.

A health fair was held at the Portland Cottage Primary School in Clarendon on October 9, and a commemorative church service will take place at the Yallahs Baptist Church in St. Thomas on October 13, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Activities continue on October 16 with the ‘Rural Girls Rock’ youth forum at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), Port Antonio, Portland, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Mrs. Coburn Robinson said that the forum will involve “an empowerment walk, engaging conversation, encouragement, gifts and various activities that would show the girls how they can use their skills and talents to explore new opportunities”.

“It emphasises that girls are important and their voices deserve to be heard,” she added.

The IDRW celebrations will continue on October 25 with an empowerment forum at the Sean Lavery Hall in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This year’s IDRW theme is ‘Empowering Rural Women: Achieving a Sustainable Future’.