KINGSTON, Jamaica – Three young Jamaican women have been selected by the U.S. Embassy to attend the Vital Voices of the Americas leadership summit and training program hosted by Vital Voices Global Partnership in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 5-8.
They are Andrea Downer of Panos Caribbean, Taneisha Burke of Preston Childcare Services and Marcia Brooks of the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life. Their visit is partially funded by the U.S. Department of State through the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy.
The summit will bring together 200 women leaders from throughout the Americas, shining a spotlight on the advancements made over the past decade, while building and strengthening a network across sectors, cultures and generations.
The event which is being held under the theme, “Vital Voices of the Americas: Women as a Bridge to a More Prosperous Future,” will recognize the critical role that women in North and South America and the Caribbean can play in moving the region forward socially, politically and economically.
Some of the strategy sessions are designed to address such challenges as women leading the path to sustainability and public private partnerships, social and economic partnerships, promoting health and safeguarding human rights, combating violence and women in political leadership.
The summit will also feature training sessions in leadership, advocacy, mentoring and media outreach and communications. Additionally, participants will visit local organizations to see first-hand how women are changing Argentina through various initiatives.
Since 1998, the Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international non-profit, bi-partisan organization, has conducted more than two dozen leadership training programs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, reaching hundreds of emerging women leaders in business, government, and civil society. Program participants have returned to their home countries and educated and trained an additional 3,000 women.
