SDC opening doors to opportunity through MoBay Women’s Empowerment Fair

WESTERN BUREAU:

Several women in Montego Bay, St James should now be better equipped to venture into the world of work, thanks to Thursday’s inaugural Montego Bay Women’s Empowerment and Opportunity Fair, which exposed them to job readiness tips, legal advice, and other self-improvement techniques.

The fair, which was held at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square, was an initiative of the Social Development Commission (SDC).

The event, which saw the attendees accessing counselling, work ethic training, and sessions on self-love and self-care, got its start through a netball competition, which was held in the Flankers community earlier this year.

It forms part of the SDC’s efforts to support 400 developmental enterprises annually, of which approximately 60 per cent are headed by women.

Addressing Thursday’s event, SDC Executive Director Omar Frith said the organisation is seeking to strengthen women’s capacity for income generation, which by extension will strengthen Jamaica’s economy.

“We have a very consequential programme referred to as the Local Economic Development Support Programme, which reflects the opportunity for individuals to transform their economic lives and to contribute meaningfully to the local economic space. Of the approximately 400 such enterprises that the SDC supports each year, more than 60 per cent of them are led by women, and over 1,200 jobs are being created each year by these local economic initiatives,” said Frith.

“These businesses are generating approximately $10 million per year in income, and so women are not just recipients of service and support, but women are creating opportunities and building our local economy. Today’s initiative demonstrates that we are not seeing you as passive recipients of charity, but you are contributing to building this nation, and so investment in you is extremely important,” he added.

Data captured by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica from October 5 to 11 last year, before Hurricane Melissa, indicates that while Jamaica’s unemployment rate had fallen to 3.3 per cent that month, the female labour force grew by 5,600 people, to a total of 684,800. The survey also indicated that female employment rose by 1.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, Shanice Kelly, one of the beneficiaries of the Flankers netball programme, said the SDC’s efforts to empower women through that programme have resulted in participants learning how to be more independent.

“The initiative has provided females with the tools, skills, and confidence needed to pursue personal growth and professional development. Through it, many women gained new skills, built self-esteem, and developed a stronger sense of purpose and independence,” she said.

“The training sessions, mentorship among teammates, and the tremendous support created a safe space for us to learn and believe in our potential. Women who were once unsure of themselves are more confident, more skilled, and more active in their communities,” Kelly added.

Partners in the staging of the fair included the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Western Regional Health Authority, the HEART NSTA Trust, Digicel, and Scotiabank.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com