The Tribune

A girl’s voice can change a room, a community and even the world. That powerful message from Ann Marie Davis, spouse of the Prime Minister, helped set the tone for S.T.R.A.W. Inc. Center for Young Women’s 14th annual International Day of the Girl celebration, where girls were encouraged to recognise their worth, speak up and seek support whenever their safety or rights are threatened.

The “Girls Day Out — Proud to Be a Girl!” event combined encouragement, education and practical guidance, placing girls’ voices, rights and protection at the centre of the conversation.

Mrs Davis challenged the ways girls are silenced in everyday life — from being interrupted before finishing a sentence to having their opinions dismissed or decisions made without their involvement.

Repeatedly being told to be quiet, she explained, can cause a girl to question her worth and retreat into the background. Yet even one brave word can begin to break that silence.

“Speaking up does not require you to be the loudest in the room,” Mrs Davis told the girls.

She encouraged them to recognise courage in everyday actions: whether it be  raising a hand, setting a boundary, reporting an unsafe situation or simply saying they need help. A trembling voice, a shaking hand or a frightened heart does not diminish the courage it takes to act.

“A shaking hand that still reaches upward is courage,” she said.

Mrs Davis urged participants to offer another girl a simple but meaningful affirmation: “I see you, I hear you, you matter!”

She called for that message to become a lasting promise of solidarity, ensuring that no girl stands alone, is forgotten or sees her rights reduced to words on a page. Girls, she emphasised, deserve to be safe, respected, educated, protected, included and heard.

“Your talent deserves to be developed. Your voice deserves to be heard. The future needs what only you can bring to it,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of Minister of Social Services, Senator Barbara Cartwright, Director of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs Sharmie Farrington-Austin reinforced the importance of confidence, protection and access to help.

Her message paired an affirmation of personal worth — “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” — with a declaration against being overlooked or silenced: “I will not be silent. I am not invisible. I will not be deleted. Clock it!”

She also stressed that the Ministry has a zero tolerance towards violence against women and girls and highlighted the role of child protection measures in safeguarding children’s welfare, safety and rights, supporting families and enabling intervention when children are at risk.

Mrs Farrington-Austin assuring them that the Minister and Ministry of Social Services are there to support them and encouraged them to speak up about unsafe situations and reach for assistance.

“You are not weak. You are strong. Speak up,”

The programme also brought attention to the practical issues affecting girls’ lives. Superintendent Makelle Pinder of the Royal Bahamas Police Force addressed “When Protection Fails: Keeping Girls Safe from Violence and Exploitation.”

Dr Marisa Mason-Smith, an advocate against gender-based violence was also amoung the speakers and discussed safety, dignity, respect and access to support.

Other sessions included psychologist Dr Julia Garcia’s “Girls Have Rights Too”; Nursing Officer II Mr Joy Tucker’s “When Girls Don’t Speak: Recognising the Signs Behind the Silence”; and Natasha Brown the owner of the gym Downtown Natasha Brown’s “Strong in Every Way: Building Girls’ Confidence Through Movement.”

Led by Executive Director Dr Therena Cunningham, S.T.R.A.W. has made the annual observance one of its signature initiatives, helping girls develop character, confidence, resilience and self-esteem while celebrating their uniqueness and encouraging their academic dreams. It stands for Strengthening, Transforming, Restoring, and Affirming Young Women.

The nonprofit youth development organisation has served and engaged at-risk girls since 2004, providing a safe space to build positive relationships, find direction and contribute to their communities.

Its 14th annual celebration carried a clear call to families, institutions and the wider community: listen to girls, take their concerns seriously and help ensure that every girl knows she matters.