The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, is “Pledge for Parity” where working towards creating greater gender equality and celebrating the strides that have been made are the main focus.
CIBC FirstCaribbean has been a strong proponent of gender equality, and throughout the region activities are underway to celebrate the achievements that women have made and to pledge support for those organisations that positively impact the lives of women.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, CIBC FirstCaribbean has made a donation to the Upton Gardens Girl’s Centre and female staff members also engaged with the girls who attend the centre during a special presentation.
CIBC FirstCaribbean’s, Country Manager, Mrs. Ladesa James-Williams noted that, the bank’s “support today helps us express the significance CIBC FirstCaribbean places on growth and development of women, particularly in supporting organisations with this mandate. Within our organisation the theme of empowerment of women is strongly felt with a number of our senior executive positions being held by women. We believe that the development of leadership particularly among young women is important.”
The Upton Gardens Girl’s Centre seeks to provide quality care to young girls between the ages of 12 and 16 who are abused, neglected or have behavioural problems. Its aims are to reinforce positive behaviour, reduce or eliminate the negative and to help develop problem solving skills, increase coping capacity and build self-esteem.
“Ensuring gender equality is possible through a strong foundation in education, skills and morals. That’s the goal of the staff at the Upton Gardens Centre and we commend the centre on making a significant impact in the lives of the girls who visit. We are not only providing monetary support but we’re spending time discussing with the young ladies at Upton Gardens. We believe that this time spent today will go a long way in not only empowering these young women to take charge of their lives but also in decreasing the gender divide and promoting equality.”, Mrs. James-Williams added.