Tessa Mangal (left), Minister of Information and Broadcasting, St Lucia, greets (from left) People's National Party candidates Phyllis Mitchell and Andrea Moore, as well as the Jamaica Labour Party's Olivia Grange and Joan Gordon-Webley at the Jamaica Women's Caucus breakfast conference for female candidates for the 2007 General Election at the Terra Nova hotel in St. Andrew on Monday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Women in politics should not allow themselves to be distracted by negative criticisms, St. Lucian Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Tessa Mangal says.

Addressing the Jamaica Women's Political Caucus (JWPC) media breakfast on Monday at the Terra Nova hotel in St. Andrew, Minister Mangal said she too has been faced with daunting comments.

The former labour worker and now senator said she has been referred to as a lesbian because she was once the only female representing her party.

"Stick to the issues, defend your position in a strategic, logical and structured manner," Minister Mangal said.

The JWPC, a non-partisan group, trains women to run for political office or as campaign managers through its Institute For Public Leadership.

In addition, for more than 10 years before every general election, the group stages a media breakfast to present women nominated with financial contributions towards their campaign fund.

their visions

At the same time, less than half of the nominated women turned out at the media breakfast to accept a $15,000 cheque and to put forward their visions for the constituencies they seek to represent.

Some two Independent candidates were absent, along with five women representing the People's National Party and four other nominees of the Jamaica Labour Party.

Twenty one women are nominated to contest the August 27 general election.