OVER 90 women benefitted from a seminar hosted by Women In Action (WIA) in collaboration with Women on a Mission Saint Lucia (WMSL) last Saturday. The day was an exciting one of sharing advice and experiences as the women gathered at the Blue Coral Conference Room.
Held under the theme, “There is Hope”, the one-day event tackled a variety of topics and featured professional presentations on, among other things, women’s health which was addressed by General Practitioner, Dr. Joanne Mills-Felicien.
Also speaking at the event was Chartered Accountant, Leandra Felix, who engaged the women about sound financial management. Health and financing having been addressed, the session also took into account the importance of spirituality. Dr. Apostle Gillian Thompson-Biscette, CEO and founder of Women on a Mission Inc., spoke to the women about spiritual empowerment. During her presentation, Thompson-Biscette used the example of the stages a coconut goes through and likened the fascinating changes of the coconut to the growth and development of women.
The purpose of the seminar, held during the month when the world recognizes International Women’s Day (March 8th), was to take a different approach to dealing with issues facing women and to help women find their purpose.
Speaking about the successful event, President of Women In Action, Diane Felicien, explained the rationale for the session.
“Whilst we call on our government and other segments of society to adopt systematic ways to deal with the issues and challenges faced by us women, we forget about the holistic and spiritual approach,” she noted. “Women are known to suffer in silence and move on with their daily lives with a smile. Women are known to be the mothers and fathers of their children, and women are known to suffer a lot more from common illnesses, especially cancer. Women are known to forget their purpose even though they face insurmountable hurdles such as job loss, loss of a husband or partner, family issues, mental, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and victimization.
She added: “These kinds of experiences for women are really eye-opening. We encourage women to come together and support each other as groups in such exercises so we can begin to assist more in the healing of the entire country. There is hope and it starts with all of us.”
The WIA and WMSL thank all the women who attended and encourage them to use the tools they learnt for their development and that of their communities.