New regional women’s leadership organization to coordinate US embassy’s WIPLI program

By Jassica St Rose

BARBADOS / ST LUCIA – The Regional Organization of Women in Leadership (ROWL) has been entrusted by the US Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS (US Embassy) to coordinate the second cohort of their successful Women In Politics Leadership Institute (WIPLI) Program for 2021.

Earlier this year, the US Embassy announced an open competition for eligible candidates to submit applications to plan and execute the 2021 WIPLI Program. The program was conceptualized by the US Embassy in an effort to encourage greater female participation in politics and government in the Caribbean. Young women in the Eastern Caribbean are afforded the opportunity to develop the skills to increase their personal involvement in civic participation, including community organizing and elections.

As an organization, ROWL seeks to equip women with the necessary training and mentorship to become strategic and resilient global leaders. It was founded by five alumni of the inaugural WIPLI cohort in 2020. ROWL is a strong team with expertise in economics, political science, international law, mediation, creative arts, human rights and journalism.

Collectively, ROWL has a track record of participating in and coordinating complex regional efforts involving diverse stakeholders, including UNESCO, UN Women, UNDP, UNHRC, IDB, World Bank, OAS, OECS, Royal Commonwealth Society, Outright International, PANCAP, British High Commission Bridgetown.

The ROWL team consists of women in various leadership roles from Saint Lucia, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and Barbados. The leadership team for ROWL consists of:

• Desi Brown- Project Coordinator
• Jassica St Rose-Marketing and Media Coordinator
• Khadya Florius – Legal Expert
• Nia Brathwaite- Communications Liaison
• Debra Francis- Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

The second WIPLI cohort is expected to commence on August 16, 2021 for the duration of six weeks. Applications will be open soon.

For more information follow ROWL and the US Embassy on social media on the following platforms https://www.facebook.com/rowlglobal

• https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyBarbados
• https://www.instagram.com/rowlcaribbean/
• https://www.instagram.com/usembassybridgetown/