NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Department of Gender and Family Affairs within the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development salute women of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas on this “International Women's Day” (IWD) celebrated worldwide on 8th March. This year’s theme is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

This year’s IWD theme is important because it promotes digital transformation for gender equality. Women and girls need to access information through communication technology, not only for personal use, but to enable women to compete successfully as entrepreneurs in the local economy and girls in their pursuit of education. The launch of the Park Connect Free Wi-fi access throughout The Bahamas is a constructive step towards achieving the objectives for this year’s IWD initiative. Today, women and girls can access the internet from the comfort of their neighborhoods for eCommerce and education from their smartphones. The Ministry applauds and encourage corporate Bahamas to continue to assist with providing electronic devices to facilitate this digital transformation.

As the country approaches its golden anniversary, the Ministry recognizes the achievements of Bahamian women from every sector and industry for their invaluable contributions to nation building. This International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of Bahamian women over the past fifty years. It also is a time to strategize for the road ahead to next milestones as a developing country.

“The United Nations Observance of IWD recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. IWD 2023 will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities. The event will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence. Bringing women and other marginalized groups into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.”

Minister Wilchcombe says his Ministry is committed to advancing women and girls in every area of their lives, including through technology.