Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has called on women achievers across the globe to share their knowledge and experiences to inspire girls and young women to pursue their dreams.
Speaking on Monday at the United Nations High-Level Meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, Mottley appealed directly to “the sisters” in the room and beyond — an audience that included present and former female heads of government, Nobel Prize winners, and global leaders.
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‘Women Make Life Richer’
“Women, my friends, truly make life richer — from the homes, to the halls of justice, and indeed this hall that we call the United Nations,” Mottley declared, joining other speakers in emphasizing women’s role in building peace and advancing equality.
She paid tribute to outstanding Caribbean women such as Lucille Mair, Dame Nita Barrow, Dr. Peggy Antrobus, Dame Billie Miller, and The Most Honourable Dr. Eudine Barriteau, who, she said, “made it their life’s purpose to create a space for other girls and women to follow” and were instrumental in the global movement that culminated in Beijing.
Recognizing Struggle and Progress
Addressing women leaders, Mottley acknowledged the barriers many had faced.
“To those who have dreamed but against whom the doors of equity and opportunity were tightly closed, those who have suffered our struggle for equality… although your journey has been difficult to this point, it has been worth taking,” she said.
She noted that progress toward gender equality had been guided by trailblazers such as Madame Marie Curie, Toni Morrison — the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature — and Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
Mottley also praised contemporary icons like Barbados’ own National Hero Rihanna, saying her excellence in entrepreneurship “continues to inspire young girls to go where others have not gone before.”
Empowering Girls with Confidence
The Prime Minister emphasized that while global transformations are necessary, small steps are equally vital.
“We need to give girls the confidence to say no,” she said. “We need to give them the confidence not just to dream but to make their dreams a reality.”
Mottley affirmed that the Beijing+30 process shows the world remains on the right path, but more work is needed.
“I simply say let this be the inspiration to all who continue to fight for that recognition — to be seen, to be heard.”
Beijing+30: Renewing Commitments
The High-Level Conference was convened by General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock under the theme “Recommitting To, Resourcing And Accelerating The Implementation Of The Beijing Declaration And Platform For Action To Achieve Gender Equality And The Empowerment Of All Women And Girls.”
The gathering marks three decades since the landmark 1995 Beijing Conference, where 189 countries — rallied by then U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton — committed to advancing women’s rights globally.
