Minister of State within the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation and the Environment, Senator, The Honourable Samantha Marshall is currently in Asuncion, Paraguay, attending the 54th Regular Session of the Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly.

On the margins of the general assembly, Minister Marshall is attending a number of side events and engagements being put on by the Inter-American Executive committee on Women, the CIM, which Antigua and Barbuda is currently serving a 3 year term on, being represented by Minister Marshall.

This morning, Minister Marshall was a featured panellist alongside other OAS gender Ministers, where they discussed women’s leadership in conflict and crisis. In this discussion, Minister Marshall highlighted the need to recognize the disproportionate impact that natural disasters and climate change have on women and girls and emphasized the need to empower them and increase their resilience through strategic and targeted measures.

Minister Marshall also highlighted how technology such as artificial intelligence and STEM education can be used as a means to strengthen women’s capacity and increase their opportunities to become leaders.

Minister Marshall will also be attending and participating in events looking at women’s rights and access to justice in rural settings, achieving gender equality in international and multilateral decision making spaces, and will also be attending an official meeting of the CIM Executive Inter-American committee on women, where they will be discussing their workplan for the year and setting priorities for action, in areas such as women’s political participation, gender based violence and climate change.

Minister Marshall is being accompanied and supported on this mission by Executive Director of the Directorate of Gender Affairs, Mr. Jamie Saunders.