Philipsburg: ---Ari Sutton, Policy Assistant at the Ministry of Constitutional and Home Affairs of the Netherlands Antilles, attended the Global Women Empowerment Conference in Washington D.C. on May 8th, 2009. “The conference was extremely productive and stimulating,” stated Ms. Sutton earlier this week. “The gathering ended with women from all over of the world making commitments to further develop partnerships to empower women and lead a revitalized effort in their countries.”
The one-day conference, hosted by the British Embassy, featured speakers such as Baroness Valerie Amos, former leader of the House of Lords, Sheila Johnson, Global Ambassador of CARE, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Vice President of the Africa Region at the World Bank, and Regina Amadi, Regional Director for Africa International Labor Organization (ILO). The purpose of the conference was to promote the empowerment of women in Africa and the Diaspora while focusing on Governance, Development and Democratic Politics. Participants hailed from a number of countries such as the USA, Jamaica, Colombia, Burundi, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. Ms. Sutton was the only attendee from the Netherlands Antilles.
