There are six women contesting the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election on January 21, the largest number ever, and it is hoped there will be a greater female presence in the THA in the coming years. The expectation is coming from Hazel Brown, head of the Network of NGOs of T&T for the Advancement of Women. Brown made the comment at Kariwak Village Hotel in Tobago on Thursday as she made financial presentations to each of the candidates. “We got some funding from the United Nations Women organisation in Barbados for women in leadership,” she said. Brown said along with the financial contributions, which are to assist the women in their campaigns, the Network of NGOs has also been training women in Tobago for leadership since December last year.
“We have been doing this in all elections since 1996, helping women to enter politics and preparing them for winning. “We have had good success with the programme. “More women are running for positions and more are winning,” Brown observed. “There are two women in the THA right now and we are expecting this to increase. “This is the largest number that is contesting the elections.”
Brown further noted there are two women from each of the three main political parties. “None of them are running against each other, a situation we had to deal with in the past,” she said. Among the candidates are the TOP’s Certica Williams-Orr, a mother of one, who is going up against the PFT’s heavy roller, Hochoy Charles, in the Plymouth/Golden Lane district.
Full Article: Six women in Tobago election race | The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper.