Rural Girls Rock Awards Ceremony on Wednesday

The third staging of the Rural Girls Rock Award will be held on Wednesday, (October 13) at the Village Academy of Jamaica in Moneague, St Ann, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

It is being organised by the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport as part of activities to mark International Day of Rural Women (IDRW).

Patrons will be able to view the ceremony via Zoom and social media platforms.

Acting Director, Community Liaison Unit, BGA, Nardia McLaren, provided details at the virtual IDRW church service on Sunday (October 10), under the theme ‘Building Rural Women’s Resilience in the Wake of COVID-19’.

She said that awards will be presented to three rural girls from Village Academy Jamaica “who demonstrate understanding and relevance of the theme through the presentation of cultural pieces”.

She said that this year’s theme seeks to highlight the resilience of rural woman and innovation despite being disadvantaged due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Rural women have remained steadfast in sustaining the livelihood of their families, their communities, while putting food not only on their tables but for all Jamaicans,” she noted.

Miss McLaren said the Bureau is aware of the enormity of the role that rural women play in the country’s development, and the BGA remains committed, through its projects and programmes “to ensure gender equality, decent work and continued support for the growth and development of all rural women and girls”.

Other activities for IDRW include the second staging of the Rural Women Achievers Award on Friday, October 15, where presentations will be made to five women who have been doing exceptional work in agriculture.

On the same day, there will be a Rural Women’s Empowerment Forum in Guy’s Hill, St. Catherine, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Miss McLaren said that this event will include a training session with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), a testimonial from a rural farmer, an empowerment session with the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project, and a basket weaving and head wrapping session with the Nigerian High Commission in Jamaica.

The virtual church service was broadcast from the May Pen Church of God in Clarendon.

IDRW is celebrated annually on October 15 to recognise rural women and girls and their contribution to the enhancement of rural life.