TT hands over Commonwealth Chair to Uganda

The local Network has chaired the CWN since 1996 when it was appointed to lead the organisation at the 1996 Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

In announcing the handing over at the People’s Forum at the Malta Heads of Government Summit, Hazel Brown, outgoing Secretary General of the CWN and coordinator of the Trinidad Network said she is satisfied that the CWN is now an established and recognised body that has placed major issues of women’s empowerment and the strengths of networking on the Commonwealth agenda during the years of her stewardship.

Among these are implementing the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality which particularly focuses on economic empowerment and equal rights for women.

The CWN will now be run by Isis-WICCE (Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange) which is headed by Ruth Odhiambo.

Brown advised the new chair to pay close attention to the mandate of the Fiji Report which outlines the Network’s structure and the tasks agreed on and how responsibilities are to be shared and can serve as a guide to build the Network.

"You may want to use the opportunity of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York in March 2006 as a forum for promoting the Network and the new secretariat," she said. "The Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago pfor the Advancement of Women remains available to assist your organisation in any way possible to effect a smooth transition and to advance the mission of the CWN."

Isis-WICCE representative at the meeting, Jane Navunnya, in accepting the chair on behalf of Ms Odhiambo, agreed to continue the work, and pledged particularly to focus on elimination of violence against women. Uganda will host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in 2007.

The Network’s exhibition of its work for women’s empowerment including its women in democracy project — A Woman’s Place is in the House Of Parliament — and The Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Responsive Sou Sou Bank have attracted much praise and attention at the event.