59 women graduate from Accelerate Her programme

A cohort of 59 women graduated from the Accelerate Her programme on September 6, at the Pamela Benson AV Room at the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) in Port of Spain.

Hosted by the NGO Girls of Impact TT, under the theme Her Next Chapter, the ceremony marked a significant milestone for participants and mentors alike.

Nine mentors guided the participants through the transformative programme, which focused on education, career development, and entrepreneurship.

Girls of Impact TT, based in Woodbrook, has been a growing force in supporting young women determined to make meaningful contributions to society.

Delivering the feature address, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen encouraged the graduates to view this achievement not as an ending, but as the beginning of a new journey.

"You are not closing a chapter. You are opening a new one. You will reap the rewards of this in years to come," Ameen said.

She added that participants not only gained practical skills, but also built a powerful network of sisterhood.

Reflecting on her own journey, Ameen recalled being 21 when she was invited to a programme titled A woman's place is in the house of Parliament by the late Hazel Brown, a women's rights activist.

Ameen added that today, many of the women from that programme were in positions of leadership.

"They are leaders in their own right," she said.

Touching on the challenges faced by women in leadership, Ameen cautioned, "We often say women are breaking the glass ceiling, but in my mind, broken glass cuts. When you are bold enough to break glass ceilings, sometimes the splinters fall in your eyes. You have to remember that when we fight and when we push."

She highlighted TT's own examples of female leadership, pointing to the nation's women in top political positions, a woman Prime Minister, President and Opposition Leader, as proof that barriers continued to fall.

Ameen also recognised Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley as a shining example of global female leadership.

Ameen also paid tribute to Calypso Rose (McArtha Lewis), the pioneering calypsonian who triumphed in a male-dominated industry to become the first woman to win both the Calypso Monarch and Road March titles.

Calypso Rose, also known as the Calypso Queen of the World, made history in 1977 with her hit Tempo, winning the Road March, and went on to win the Monarch in 1978.

Ameen also applauded Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit, who became one of TT's youngest mayors at the age of 28, as another example of young women breaking barriers.

"It is never too early to pursue your dreams," she told the graduates, urging them to "focus on what has meaning."

"Women tend to criticise other women a lot for their clothes, hair and shoes. I say, give it a rest. Focus on the things that matter."

She acknowledged that while strides have been made, gender bias still persists, and it remains critical for women to support each other as they continue to rise.