Digital inclusion for women, access to menstrual products and the sustainability of households were among the key issues discussed at the recently concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2026 in Antigua.
Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit shared this country’s progress at the Women’s Forum.
Speaking on TTT’s FOCUS Morning Show, Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit, said digital inclusion for women was one of the major topics discussed at the recently concluded CHOGM 2026 Women’s Forum in Antigua.
She shared progress on T&T’s revised means test at the Forum and its findings regarding access to the internet.
“We were very happy as Trinidad and Tobago to report that we reviewed our means test under the social protection framework and in reviewing that means test, internet is now a necessity and not a luxury in our country. And when I say a necessity and not a luxury in our country, in terms of household expenditure, before it would have been included as part of household expenditure. Now internet under the revised means test in Trinidad and Tobago it is not included as a form of expenditure but rather a need.”
Focus was also placed on women’s healthcare, period poverty and the availability of women’s health funds at the Forum. Minister Mohit said T&T was able to report its positive progress in this area.
“We were again very happy to report that the women’s health fund would have received five million dollars under the last fiscal year and in this fiscal year the Minister of Finance injected another five million to get that health fund up and running where we will distribute menstrual products through our education system because out women girls deserve opportunities and no young girl should be kept away from school because of these simple issues of having access to necessary products and items to get them to school.”
Minister Mohit said overall the Commonwealth is very concerned about the sustainability of households and treating with poverty in rural areas.