SXMElections.com

HOPE ESTATE--On Monday, March 9, the first working day after International Women's Day on March 8, the Women's Desk revealed its new logo and some significant developments for the future in a ceremony at the Gaston Boasman Help Desk in HOPE Estate.

Master of Ceremonies for the celebration was Elencia Baptiste-Boasman who invited all those present, including Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Acting Secretary General Joy Arnell, Dr. Virginia Asin, Dr. Ellis and MP and former Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever.

The ceremony started with two talented students of Charlotte Brookson Academy who gave a touching rendition of the St. Maarten song.

The audience was reminded this International Women's Day, that it was 20 years ago that the United Nations declaration was signed in Beijing, affording women greater equality. All countries that signed the agreement, including St. Maarten, pledged to become a better place for women, as equals to men.

"Much is still to be done within families," said Baptiste-Boasman. Although St. Maarten has come a long way, "the situation still leaves a lot to be desired," she said, reminding people that it takes a community to raise a child, but a woman to raise a family.

The unveiling of the new logo comes at the end of restructuring the desk, which now falls under the department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian affairs.

Joy Arnell gave an interesting speech about the history of the Women's Desk. She officially recognized Cassilda van der Neut who took an early lead in running the desk. "Cassilda ensured women could come to the desk and their issues were addressed," Arnell said. She emphasised that the desk was also there to support men, and that men had to support each other to support the wellbeing of women, and through them, the entire family.

After returning from the conference in Beijing, a group of women pressurised the governor at that time. They did not give up until both the Women's Desk and women's shelter Safe Haven were established.

St. Maarten has made strides but we haven't yet arrived," she said, stating that there were challenges addressed with regard to autonomy and decision making, economic autonomy and physical autonomy. "There is a lot still to be done," she reminded the team at the Women's Desk. "We look towards your direction and directive."

Tokens of appreciation were handed out to staff members and social worker Tamara Groeneveld recited a powerful poem based on the theme of this year's International Women's Day, "Let's Make it Happen."

Director of the Women's Desk, Ayda Holman then took the stage. Holman said to be excited about, and committed to what was yet to come.

Holman said that if you want to build anything, you have to focus on the foundation. For the Women's Desk, a strong foundation was supported by Sarah Wescott Williams, Cornelius de Weever and Edgar Lynch, who allowed the Women's Desk to do its work unobstructed, with a freedom to restructure and reposition the desk without negative interference.

With its new logo, the Women's Desk also introduced its new identity, structural and permanent housing of the desk at the location of the event, and a new email address.

The Women's Desk today offers counselling, care, empowerment and outreach, with a future in which the desk will give more advocacy about the ills in society against women, children and families, and advocate more community involvement and outreach.

Other new projects include programmes geared towards teen parents, community networking programmes in which women help each other, and the establishment of a Sexual Reproductive Health department within the ministry of VSA, encompassing family planning together with the Collective Prevention Service (CPS) and the department of Social Development.

Dr. Virginia Asin spoke both in her capacity as head of the CPS and president of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Sunrise. She focused on the necessity of having a world where every woman can exercise her rights. She said it was important to enable and facilitate women to be able to do this.

"We need to focus on the new policy of sexual and reproductive health which will be implemented this year," Dr. Asin said. "We need to have an integrated approach. Women need to take a well informed decision to reproduce," she said.

Once a woman did decide to reproduce, "services need to be of the highest quality to bring those children into the world," she added.

Asin also pledged her support as president of the Rotary Club St. Maarten Sunrise, stating that the club was one of various organisations who have something to offer, and, like all organisations should, ask itself the question: "what is needed to make this a movement to empower women?"

She focused on the serious issue of teen pregnancies. "Instead of just focus on the girl, we should also focus on her partner in crime. We need to start empowering teens and make them strong enough to put them in charge of their own bodies."

Minister of Health, Rita Bourne-Gumbs, was the last speaker. "I am a woman," she proclaimed proudly. "Today, we are celebrating us. And the rest of the month," she added.

"Our abilities are infinite," she said, before adding that there were still women who were unable to express themselves freely," said Bourne-Gumbs who spoke fondly of her own mother, a single mother raising five children.

"Be creative, make it happen," the minister said, who proclaimed that she was seeking to have March formally named as Women's History Month.

The new logo was then unveiled by Minister Bourne-Gumbs and Ayda Holman. The logo, designed by La Rich, was based on an Evergreen tree, emphasizing the continuity of life. The tree has a pair of long legs with a pair of red pumps, indicating moving forward in life, and the God-given power of women.