Women leaders and aspiring young female leaders recently came together at an Intergenerational Leadership Mixer to exchange ideas on building self-empowerment and social networks to propel young women’s economic empowerment in Saint Lucia.
The event was hosted in commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025 by the Department of Gender Affairs in partnership with the UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean through the Global Affairs Canada-funded Build Back Equal Programme, Do Nation Foundation and Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort.
A diverse group of women leaders and 50 female student leaders from Forms 3 and 4 met in this interactive forum at the Sandals Grande, exchanging insights on leadership and what it means for girls and young women in their personal and professional development, their contributions to their communities and country overall. Director of Gender Affairs, Janey Joseph reminded the young leaders that: “Three decades ago, many women were unable to access and enjoy the opportunities available to girls like you today. Many of the women with whom you will be interacting today had to walk that lonely road, in shoes never worn by a woman before. They did not see other people like themselves in the spaces they wanted to fill. But today, students, you have this. You can see other women walking in the shoes you wish to walk in.”
The year 2025 is an important milestone, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global policy framework for the rights of women. It envisions a world where all women and girls can enjoy freedom from violence, participate fully in society, and live with dignity. This year also marks the final five years of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Saint Lucia has made significant progress in the area of women’s political representation, and the prioritization of gender equality as a developmental goal, but there is still much work to do towards realising the aspirations of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the SDGs. Research has shown that enrolment and access for boys and girls are equal at the primary and secondary levels. Despite achieving higher levels of education across the Caribbean (25.7% females to 17.3% males with tertiary education for the 25-34 age group1), women face lower employment and higher unemployment rates compared to their male counterparts; women face greater institutional barriers to access finance for business start-up and growth; and bear the disproportionate responsibility of caring for children and the elderly2, all of which affects their decision making in relation to economic activity.
The 2025 International Women’s Day Intergenerational Leadership Mixer aimed to strengthen young women’s capacity to participate in social, economic and political life. The initiative also served as a foundation for increasing and giving visibility to the need for equal opportunities for women’s full and effective participation; both of which are targets of the Beijing Platform for Action and SDG goal 5 on the girl child and gender equality respectively. UN Women Build Back
Equal Saint Lucia Project Coordination Analyst, Sacha Harris shared on UN Women’s LEAP Framework which serves to actively engage youth, including young men, as partners to achieve gender equality. Ms. Harris added: “The framework places emphasis on multigenerational groups working together to promote leadership, economic empowerment and action on ending violence against young women and girls. It is a collective positive youth development strategy aimed at increasing positive future outcomes for youth”. Do Nation Foundation Founder, Diane Felicien said: “Each of us holds the power to ignite change! When we step up as volunteers, we elevate women’s voices in every space we occupy. Empowerment is not just a concept; it is a movement that begins with the actions of each one of us.” The Intergenerational Leadership Mixer will serve as a springboard for future work around network and capacity building for young women in Saint Lucia, fostering a new generation of empowered female leaders.