- Contributed
Lorna Green, president of Jamaica's first women's business association, Women Business Owners (WBO), makes her opening address at the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) in Kingston where the organisation was launched. Seated at left is First Vice-President Shirley Carby, Managing Director of Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Limited, Secretary Dorothea Gordon-Smith, right, chief executive officer (CEO) of Garbage Disposal and Sanitation Systems Limited, and founding member Eleanor Jones, second right, CEO of Environmental Solutions Limited.
JAMAICA'S FIRST women business association, the Women Business Owners (WBO) was launched last Wednesday with President Lorna Green asserting that the organisation would break the proverbial "glass ceiling" by helping to influence national economic, financial and social policy directions.
The launch, held under the motto: "Partnering For Economic Success", took place at the offices of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) in Kingston where Mrs. Green, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digital Transtec Limited, said the group was formed because women entrepreneurs needed a voice to discuss issues that face them in their business life.
"Women are extremely visible as executives in many businesses, but many are not visible in the ownership of businesses," she told media representatives and WBO members. "The Prime Minister has assured us that once this organisation has been launched, it will be put on the list of bodies which are called on to contribute to policy directions."
Besides trying to influence national policy decisions, Mrs. Green said the WBO plans also to be visible in policy-making entities, as well as providing mentoring for its members and other female business owners. She said the organisation would conduct research and garner data on female entrepreneurship a thrust which the International Labour Organisa-tion (ILO) has already endorsed and has pledged its support.
WOMEN BUSINESS CONFERENCE
In identifying more ways in which the WBO will best serve its members, Mrs. Green said the association plans to team with reputable media houses to organise an annual women business conference. She added that the WBO will also network with other women across the globe, and bring their experiences to bear on Caribbean economic realities.
The WBO will hold its launch function on Wednesday, May 28, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Guest speaker will be Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and special guests will include United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, and British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Peter Mathers.
The remaining members of the WBO executive are: First Vice-President, Shirley Carby, managing director of Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Limited; Second Vice-President Pat Isaacs-Greene, CEO of Kaieteur Foods; Secretary Dorothea Gordon-Smith, CEO of Garbage Disposal and Sanitation Systems Limited; Assistant Secretary, Charmaine Harrison, Managing Director of Great Vacations Limited; Treasurer Audrey Hinchcliffe, CEO of Manpower Maintenance and Services Limited; and Assistant Treasurer Bevon Morrison, President of Call Associates Consultancy Limited.
Although all the founding members are based in Kingston, Mrs. Green emphasised that the WBO would invite female owners of mid-sized and large businesses across the island to join the organisation. Advisers to the WBO are Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, Executive Director of the JEF, Scarlett Gillings, Managing Director of Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), and Dr. Lorna Simmonds of the Office of the Prime Minister.
