Bishop Carmen Stewart. - Photo by William Foster

On International Women's Day, March 8, 2007, Jamaican women will converge on the National Indoor Sports Complex in Kingston for the start of a three-day women's summit.

The first of its kind in Jamaica, the National Women's Summit will feature dynamic local and international speakers and performers, and aims at focusing Jamaican women on their roles in taking back our nation from the negative influences of crime, violence and social degradation.

Key speakers

Key speakers include international religious leaders Dr. Marilyn Hickey, and Pastor Jacqueline McCullough, who are well known for their work both inside and outside the United States. Local speakers include the Bishop Carmen Stewart, Dr. Pat Morgan and Pastor Mary Wildish.

"Our women literally hold the nation's future in their hands," says Bishop Carmen Stewart, Custos Rotolorum of the parish of St. Andrew and Justice of the Peace for the parish of Kingston, and one of the local speakers scheduled for the event. "It is generally recognised that Jamaica's women play a critical role in national development. They hold our homes together, they drive the economy, and they help to define our popular culture and our social standards. It is only natural, therefore, that they should take a lead role in defining our future as a nation - that's what this summit is about," she stresses.

The 2007 Women's Summit, which is being organised by Whole Life Ministries, is open to everyone.