The Director General of the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, has hailed the inclusion of two OECS nationals into the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership as ‘a proud moment’ for the entire sub region.
The OECS Commission Wednesday said that the Speaker of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Lanien Blanchette, an attorney and St. Lucia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Sustainable Development, Lisa Jawahir, have been nominated and officially accepted into the prestigious African Academy for Women in Political Leadership. It said that the two regional politicians have since participated in the official launch held in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month.
‘The inclusion of Speaker Lanien Blanchette and Minister Lisa Jawahir in the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership is a proud moment for the entire OECS region. It underscores the extraordinary caliber of female leadership within our member states and signals a dynamic new era of transatlantic collaboration,’ Jules said.
‘We extend our sincere appreciation to our Strategic Advisor, Aisha Maina, whose relentless dedication, strategic networks, and foresight turned this vision into a reality. Ms. Maina continues to demonstrate that the bonds between Africa and the Caribbean are actively shaping the future of global leadership,’ he added.
Maina, the OECS Strategic Advisor for Africa-Caribbean Cooperation, said she remains dedicated to advancing Caribbean representation in international governance and that elevating women into transformative political leadership is essential for the sustainable growth of both Africa and the Caribbean.
‘When we bring visionary leaders like Speaker Blanchette and Minister Jawahir into dialogue with their African counterparts, we foster a rich exchange of legislative wisdom, democratic resilience, and shared strategic purpose. It is a privilege to support this historic bridge, and I look forward to the lasting impact their participation will bring home to the OECS,’ she added.
Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the African Union Commission, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), and the African School of Governance(ASG), the Academy is a premier continental leadership initiative designed to equip transformation-minded women leaders with advanced strategic, policy, and legislative capabilities.
The OECS Commission said that the acceptance of Blanchette and Jawahir marks a historic milestone as Caribbean political leaders are formally integrated into this flagship governance program.
It said that this is a concrete expression of the recognition by the African Union of the Diaspora as the Sixth Region.
The governance initiative focuses on campaign strategy, coalition building, legislative reform, ethical governance, and public policy execution.