From Caribbean News Now

PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Advocates for lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues in the Caribbean have been encouraged to commit to enhance their advocacy at the second Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference. Staged in Paramaribo, Suriname, the CWSDC is organised by United and Strong (U&S) with the support of Women’S Way and the pan-Caribbean network CariFLAGS.

“CWSDC brought brilliance, intelligence, motivation and support. The resilience and energy and the spirit of teamwork was evident. The engagement in self-development of each participant made me feel fulfilled and accomplished,” said executive director of U&S Kenita Placide.

“This conference, which was held for the second time had the effect of a rude awakening. The need for support, networks, shared experience and the need for space to be comfortable and free was evident. A lot of work has been done but there is so much still to do and we as a collective has committed,” she added.

More than 30 women from 13 countries and 18 organisations participated in the week-long capacity building conference. Throughout the week participants explored areas as intimate as sexual health and as broad as United Nations mechanisms. The conference also served to gather data about LBT experiences in the region, an essential component of strengthening activism.

The CWSDC opened with an official ceremony that was attended by representatives of the Netherlands and United States embassies, and was addressed by Suriname’s minister of internal affairs, Edumund Leilis, parliamentarian Noreen Cheung and representative of the United Nations Population Fund Judith Brielle.

The CWSDC received financial and technical support from several quarters, most notably the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Global Fund for Women, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Arcus Foundation, Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights, MADRE, Institute for Gender and Development Studies (Nita Barrow Unit – University of the West Indies) and Women’s Health in Women’s Hands.

With the aim of “inspiring women to leadership”, the CWSDC also gave participants an opportunity to add their presence to Suriname Coming Out Week celebrations.

As Tieneke Sumter of Women’S Way stated at the opening ceremony of the conference, “According to the goals we have set for this conference it is clear that we are not planning to be invisible. We are here; we are open and will continue to inspire women of all sexualities and gender identities into leadership.”

IMAGE: Officials, organisers and LBT activists at CWSDC opening ceremony

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-Caribbean-women-recommit-to-advocating-for-diversity-23270.html