The Tribune

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda – Wealthier Commonwealth countries should put their resources to work for women by helping smaller states expand access to financing, training and economic opportunities, Minister of Social Services Senator Barbara Cartwright told the Commonwealth Women's Forum yesterday.

Speaking alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Ms Cartwright made a direct appeal to delegates.

"Adopt a member state. Share policies, training and programs with them," she said.

The Bahamas chairs the Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting (WAMM), a role it assumed in August 2023 under the late Obediah Wilchcombe. It is now serving beyond the customary three-year cycle after accepting an invitation to extend its chairmanship so a new chair can be elected.

"A prosperous and resilient Commonwealth requires a Commonwealth where the wealth is made common," Ms Cartwright said, calling for equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all.

She stressed that women's prospects should not depend on the size or economic strength of their country. Women in advanced and developing economies alike, she said, need access to resources, markets, financial tools and decision-making roles to contribute fully to national development.

"Thriving women drive prosperous economies," she said.

Ms Cartwright singled out small island developing states such as The Bahamas, where limited funding can constrain support for women's organisations and the training needed to advance equality.

She also urged investment to reflect the realities of an ageing population, noting that women carry much of the responsibility for caregiving. Investment in care, she argued, would widen women's economic participation and strengthen family wellbeing.

While acknowledging the gains women have made across the Commonwealth, she warned of policy reversals and organised resistance to gender equality, and urged member countries to protect progress by strengthening laws, policies and programmes. Empowerment efforts, she added, must reach women and girls from disadvantaged communities who face the greatest barriers.

At home, she said, her ministry's Poverty Reduction Outreach and Expo, held to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17, brought resources and services into inner-city communities and connected women and girls with non-governmental organisations offering support.

Ms Cartwright also called for greater collaboration to dismantle systemic barriers, including discriminatory restrictions on employment and unequal marriage laws. She advocated continued training on gender-based violence, wider access to digital financial services and stronger data collection to measure the results of investment in women.

She is accompanied by Sharmie Farrington, director of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, whose work includes advancing gender equality, strengthening families and addressing gender-based violence in The Bahamas. The forum, officials said, offers a chance to exchange practical approaches and build partnerships.

Ms Cartwright paid tribute to her predecessors, the late Mr Wilchcombe and former Social Services Minister Myles Laroda, as she pledged to carry forward The Bahamas' work as WAMM chair.

"I am happy and humble to receive this baton and to continue the work," she said.

The Bahamas hosted the WAMM in Nassau in August 2023, helping shape a shared agenda on women's leadership, economic empowerment, ending gender-based violence, and gender and climate action.

The 2026 forum brings together representatives of government, civil society, development organisations and youth groups. Its outcomes will inform discussions among Commonwealth leaders.

Ms Cartwright urged delegates to honour women who have overcome adversity and championed equality by continuing their work through sustained cooperation and action.