Women’s Dept: Women’s Week 2006 a success
It may have started out over a long weekend full of sporting activities, but Women’s Week 2006 was certainly not overshadowed. In fact, the various agencies promoting the observance say this year was one of the best ever, and much of the success was due to strong sister to sister relations. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods reports.
Icilda Humes, Coordinator, Women?s Department
?I think perhaps this has been one of the most successful Women?s Week that the Women?s Department, the National Women?s Commission, and other partner agencies have had. For the first time this year we had what we hope will be an annual event, the women?s summit.?
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
On Saturday, March eleventh Women?s week will come an official close. This year?s observance focused on women embracing leadership with vision.
Icilda Humes
?The work does continue and there is a lot of work to be done. And something that the Women?s Department has always preached about was the fact that we cannot do it alone; we need help, we are the first to admit that. And we don?t only need the help of women; we need the help and the support of men. And that?s something that came out wholeheartedly in the women?s summit, that we do not want people to believe that we are excluding men from our activities. We want to include men as much as possible, because these issues are not only about women; they are about our communities, our families, our country on a whole.?
One issue that has remained at the forefront of discussion is HIV and AIDS. Tomorrow women, men, children, employers, and the business community are being encouraged to come out and ride in support of persons living with the disease. Funds raised from the bike rally will assist ongoing programmes.
Icilda Humes
?The bike rally is basically to promote physical well being and solidarity. And this year we wanted to make the bike rally more meaningful, so we decided that we should that we should ride for a cause and this year that cause is for women and girls living with HIV/AIDS. We are asking that participants contribute a dollar or more if they would like towards that case so that we could do something, we can start a fund to help women and girls living with HIV/AIDS.?
?The rally takes place tomorrow, Saturday, March eleventh. It starts at five-thirty at the corner of Western Avenue and the Western Highway. We will go up the Western Highway onto Faber?s Road Extension, down Faber Road Extension onto Central American Boulevard, up to Cesar Ridge Road, Yabra Road, Regent Street, over the Swing Bridge onto Queen Street, New Road, Douglas Jones Street, Freetown Road and we will end at the Y.W.C.A. with the Y.W.C.A.?s annual post bike rally breakfast.?
?One of the things that we really want to emphasise with the rally is that it is not a race, it is not a competition. It is just for everyone to ride in solidarity. So people who may think that it is a competition, who may think that they can?t compete, please don?t be afraid. The point is for all of us to ride together as one group in solidarity for women.?
Registration will be conducted tomorrow morning at five-thirty before the start of the rally. You are encouraged to assemble on time at the corner of Western Avenue and the Western Highway. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
The National Women’s Commission and the Women’s Department are creating a National Women’s Registry for potential appointment to public boards and committees, and for the creation of a database of women with skills in various areas. If you would like to be included in the registry, send your name, profession, educational background, experience, and a contact number to the National Women’s Registry, care of the Women’s Department, twenty-six Albert Street, Belize City. You can also email your information to womensdept@btl.net.
