A study published by the Inter American Development Bank indicates that Trinidad and Tobago leads all of Latin America and the Caribbean when it comes to women in leadership.
This week, the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business hosted its annual Women in Leadership Conference featuring two of the country’s prominent female leaders, President Christine Kangaloo and Minister Jearlean John, who shared the strategies they use to inspire confidence, communicate effectively, and solve problems.
President Kangaloo, who is the symbolic representation of the nation and its authority, holds the most senior leadership position in Trinidad and Tobago and addressed this country’s eminence in bringing women to positions of power.
“Here in the Caribbean, a 2018 ILO report revealed that our region is a world leader in terms of its share of women managers, with eight out of 11 Caribbean countries surveyed reporting that 40% or more of all managers are women. And Jamaica reporting the highest proportion of women managers in the world at 59%.”
Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John, who was standing in for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, shared some strategies and advice with the audience.
“You have to know who you are, and you have to be centred to move forward. How can you move forward if you aren’t centred and you aren’t confident in who you are? So if you tell yourself, okay I am not this enough, and I’m not good enough, who can you convince? Leadership is about convincing others to follow you, so if you have all of these insecurities, and we all do, but some of us, you hide it a little more than others. You have to be in charge of yourself.”
The Minister encouraged women to be self-reliant, to know their worth, and embrace self-awareness, saying: “You have to work, and as women, to be independent, even within relationships, okay. You have to get up in the morning and watch yourself and have some self-respect. You have to know. Don’t let others tell you who you are. You have to speak up because if you don’t, others will speak up for you.”
The theme for the Arthur Lok Jack 19th Women in Leadership Conference was ‘People, Culture and Performance: Strategies for Women in Power’.