A major congress, which will bring together women from all walks of life, will be convened here in St Vincent and the Grenadines in March.{{more}}

The Congress will be held under the theme: ”Women Rising, Crisis and Response:Women as Agents of Change,” March 21 to 22.

The objectives of the Congress are to: create an understanding in women of their role in National Development, within the context of the Beijing platform for Action, the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality, and the Millennium Development Goals; and provide a forum for the voices of women in all sectors to be heard. This will include the concerns of rural women, the disabled, youth, indigenous and Rastafari women. Another objective is to build national solidarity among women and women in groups.

A number of themes with Gender Equity and women’s rights, including Indigenous Women, as a cross-cutting theme will be explored. These will include economic development; trade and finance; peace and security; education; health; and leadership and political participation.

Organisers say the major outcomes of the Congress will be a statement reflecting the views of a wide cross-section of women that will influence policy, and translate into better socio-economic conditions for women in the areas that affect them most. A Platform for women to build national solidarity and maintain a voice in the process of national development is also expected to be another of the outputs of this event.

The Congress is being coordinated by a broad-based organizing committee, with support from the National Council of Women, the Venezuelan Embassy, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the the Gender Affairs Division- Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

A Congress Secretariat has been set up at the Bertram Richards Educational Institute (Timmy School) in Kingstown. Anyone wishing to contact the Secretariat can do so at telephone 456 4122. or by email at: womcongress2012@yahoo.com.