AMCHAM: Women must mentor other women

■ Andrea Perez-Sobers

andrea.perez-sobers@trinidadexpress.com

FEMALE mentorship is a necessity to enhance gender parity in business, according to the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM T&T) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Both AMCHAM and IDB have teamed up to host a workshop session entitled 'Women in the Lead Mindful Leadership in a Transformative World' with Dr Shelly-Ann Gadjadhar, tomorrow, during this year's Women in Leadership Mentorship Programme (WILMP).

The WILMP will once more serve as an important platform to drive female leadership in industry and commerce and ensure overall economic growth and it also reaffirms AMCHAM T&T's commitment to empowering women and promoting gender parity and women's leadership in business and society. AMCHAM T&T president Toni Sirju-Ramnarine said the focus of the Mentorship Programme is aimed at providing solutions to the many barriers preventing women from progressing in society.

'The goal should always be to remove these existing barriers with more opportunities so that we are empowering both women and men. At AMCHAM, we believe a diverse workplace and society brings about better outcomes for everyone. Ultimately, this is what we are hoping to both inspire and achieve with this Mentorship Programme,' Sirju-Ramnarine said.

She noted that women can achieve these goals by seeking each other's interests through reinforcing greater collaboration to eliminate the competition that pits women against each other, and by extension, all women against men.

Carina Cockburn, country manager of the IDB, said the mentorship journey will help women find common ground with their male counterparts as they learn and grow in organisational spaces. 'Remember that the workplace in which we engage every day has added value because of our presence. 'By helping each other, we can share the responsibility we have to fulfil our own potential and to act as torch-bearers for the women who will follow,' Cockburn said.

'The Inter-American Development Bank's collaboration with AMCHAM T&T to host this mentoring programme is representative of this ethos and is also consistent with our developmental priorities for T&T and the Caribbean. Indeed, I am proud to work for an organisation which supports gender diversity and promotes equality and balance in leadership and decision making,' she added.

Meanwhile, Dr Shelly-Ann Gadjadhar who is an educator, attorney and the CEO and founder of her own coaching and consultancy company, Alphastute Ltd, highlighted that teaching women about leadership is a great pathway to helping women see themselves as impactful and providing them with the knowledge and sovereignty to choose the type of leader they want to be.

The AMCHAM T&T/IDB Mentorship programme will provide a platform that allows women to develop leadership skills, increase self-confidence, build social capital, and take ownership of their own personal and professional development.