NGO hopes for female mayor in PoS

THE first female mayor of Port of Spain. This is the hope which the Network of NGOs of TT for the Advancement of Women has, as it extended good wishes to “the courageous women” contesting the Belmont East and Barataria by-elections on July 16. Nicole Young, Liana Babb-Gonzales and Felicia Holder are the respective People’s National Movement (PNM), United National Congress (UNC) and Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) in Belmont East.

Kimberly Small and Sharon Maraj-Dharam are the PNM and UNC Barataria candidates, respectively. The PEP’s Barataria candidate Christoph Samlal is the only man facing the polls on July 16.

In a statement, the NGO observed Port of Spain is the only local government corporation in Trinidad which has never elected a woman to lead it. However the group was confident this would change in the near future. For July 16, the NGO said, “It is time to repeat the old cry, ‘Put a woman, to work for you in Local Government.’”

Of the 112 women who contested the 2016 Local Government Elections, 58 came from the UNC, 44 from the PNM and ten came from other parties. “Gender parity and partnership in politics are central to the functioning and strengthening of democracy,” the NGO said. Men and women bring to politics different perspectives and political priorities. “Society benefits when women are involved in the political process in more equitable numbers,” the NGO said.

With local government being an integral part of the national structure of governance, the level of government closest to citizens the group said it is, “therefore is best positioned both to involve women in the making of decisions concerning their living conditions and to make use of their knowledge and capabilities in the promotion of sustainable development.”