Women and men’s issues will come under the microscope over the next few days when three important meetings are held in New York. Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, and Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, John Hollingsworth, will represent Barbados at the talks.

The Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action Monitoring Group (CGPMG) meeting will be held tomorrow, Saturday, February 28; while the annual Consultation of Commonwealth Heads of National Women’s Machineries (NWMs) is planned for Sunday, March 1. The 53rd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women will run from March 2-13.

The CGPMG is a working group which brings together several National Women’s Machineries and civil society organisations from various countries to oversee and track progress on gender equality in the Commonwealth. Barbados is now one of four members of the region representing the Caribbean/Canada.

Minister Byer Suckoo will present a progress report on this island’s preparations to host the Ninth Women’s Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in 2010, during Sunday’s consultation.

She will also deliver an address to the 53rd Session of the Commission on how Barbados is progressing in its implementation of actions for the equal sharing of responsibilities between men and women, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS.

During that workshop, participants will also examine “the equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels” as well as “emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men”.

Pin It on Pinterest