Network of NGOs hails women awardees
by
Thu Sep 01 2011
The Network of NGOs of T&T for the Advancement of Women has extended congratulations to this year's women recipients of national awards, including its members-Hazel Brown, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt and Brenda Gopeesingh. They each received the newly-created award, Medal for the Development of Women (Gold) for their dedicated work in advancing women's rights and issues, at Wednesday's Independence Day awards ceremony at Queen's Hall, St Ann's.
In a release issued yesterday, Dr Kris Rampersad, international relations director for the Network of NGOs, stated: "The awards to these women are particularly significant as the Network ends a quarter century of activities in T&T. "The three women singled out for their contribution to women are among those who have over the years been relentless in the efforts for recognising the contribution of women to our society. "The Network is particularly proud that the work of its members has been recognised so profusely in this, the first year, of a special category of awards for women.
"We, of course, also acknowledge with pride the work and achievements of our co-ordinator, Hazel Brown, who, despite personal challenges, continues to diligently keep the women's agenda in focus."
The Network said it was pleased to see that this year's awardees recognised "the exemplary work of several other professional women as key contributors to national social and economic well-being, among them, two of four recipients of the highest honour, the Order of T&T in Mrs Zalayhar Hassanali and Helen Bhagwansingh."
Other national awardees were not left out of the Network's congratulatory message. "That at least one-third of the awardees this year were women tells that we are moving closer to full recognition, acknowledgement and factoring of the value of women's work to the development of our society in all spheres," the release said. "We hope that these awards will bring into sharper focus the merits of our slogan that all issues are women's issues, as is implied in awards to Bhagwansingh, a pioneer and entrepreneur; attorney Stephanie Daly, educator Susan Craig, entertainer Denyse Plummer, Judge Gladys Gafoor, businesswoman Irma Simonette, Joan Bishop, nurse Jean Grayson and Bernice Parris, policewomen Margaret Sampson-Brown and Sheila Prince.
"The Network looks forward to equally meaningful incorporation of women's perspectives across all sectors and into policy, decision making, implementations and actions for more meaningful and equitable development of T&T."
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