Keynote speaker for the gala, Member of Parliament (MP) Lisa Hanna from Jamaica.
PHILIPSBURG--A BETTA PLACE Foundation is collaborating with Angelique Romou to host the first-ever Women in Leadership Gala dinner on Saturday, March 18, at Belair Community Center.
“Women in Leadership in St. Maarten has evolved over the past decade at an impressive rate with women holding many top leadership positions in the community,” Romou stated in a press release. “From female Prime Ministers to the first female Minister of Justice, female Presidents of Parliament, and CEOs (chief executive officers) – women in our community are breaking moulds.”
“Hence, the idea of incorporating more women empowerment initiatives, which aim to shed light on the movers and shakers in our community and abroad, to inspire and empower other women to be the best version of themselves and to create more ‘rooms’ where women celebrate and uplift each other,” she continued.
According to the release, the event is not only for women in leadership positions but women who are leading by breaking barriers in their respective areas, going against the conventional way of thinking and paving the way for others to follow, women taking up their role in their households and communities to lead by example.
The event aims to empower women; it will boast a jam-packed evening filled with inspirational women, a group of motivating panellists, and guest speakers that will leave the attendees in awe of their esteemed rise to the top, inspired, and motivated to aspire to become all that they have ever dreamt to be.
The aim is to have a record attendance of at least 120 to 150 attendees (primarily women) from the various industries on the island, and surrounding islands; we celebrate female leaders that surround us in St. Maarten, the Caribbean, and the world.
One of the goals of the event is to raise funds for girls to attend a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) summer programme in the United States (US).
Another goal is to have a vast group of “female leaders” from various industries share their insights and experiences about their road to success. One of these exclusive professionals include keynote speaker, Member of Parliament (MP) Lisa Hanna. Hanna is a respected, courageous Politico in CARICOM, a former Cabinet Minister of Youth and Culture, a Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the four-term elected MP for the rural constituency of Southeast St. Ann in Jamaica.
On the corporate panel there will be leaders such as Brenda Wathey CEO of Wathey Group of Companies, Ida ZIN -KA-IEU CEO of IZ Consulthink, May-Ling Chun Director of Tourism and other panellists.
On the political panel there will be leaders such as Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, Minister for Education and Social Development of Anguilla, St. Maarten’s Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Alida Francis Government Commissioner of St. Eustatius and other panellists.
The audience will also be wowed by female entertainers and the evening will end with a silent auction of luxury goods and prizes to raise funds which will go back into the community towards women-focused initiatives.
One of the causes is to raise money for young girls to attend an all-expense-paid trip to a STEM summer programme in the US. “We must realise that science, technology, engineering and mathematics professions are still heavily male-dominated and that the gender gap is even wider among students in post-secondary STEM courses,” said Romou.
She said one explanation commonly offered for this gender gap is a lack of confidence among girls and women in their technical skills and STEM career prospects. “Therefore, through this gala, we will be providing young girls on the island, who have an interest and/or show a raw talent in STEM, to have an opportunity to be exposed to advanced opportunities in the STEM field through the STEM summer programme.
The Women in leadership Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday, March 18, at Belair Community Center from 7:00pm to 11:00pm. This is a Black Tie event and the ladies are expected to dress to impress in their best evening wear.
The price per ticket will be $200 individually and $1,500 for a table of eight. The entrance ticket includes a four-course dinner, an open bar, an evening of entertainment and excellence bar none.
“The Women in Leadership Gala will be an exciting and thought-provoking evening. Attendees are going to be inspired, motivated, entertained and in awe of the stories and advice passed on to them from fellow women in the room.
“Ultimately, we want women to walk away saying that this event was engaging, encouraging, progressive and optimistic for them, inspiring them to aspire to achieve everything within their power and beyond,” Romou concluded.
