March 8th, recognized globally as International Women’s Day, was a day for women of all ethnic backgrounds, varying cultural and religious beliefs to come together for a day of empowerment, self- development and self-love discussions.
In Antigua and Barbuda, author, Counselor and Consultant Koren Norton hosted her 4th Annual VIP Women’s Conference at the John E. St. Luce Conference Centre.
Over 150 women were in attendance for a brunch-themed day focused on Flourishing, Confidence and Connection.
Dr. Monica Osborne-Stevens offered an unorthodox introduction to welcome the audience. Her written piece saw three women displaying the process of planting a seed into a plant pot and watching as it would grow through watering and nurturing. This set the tone for the day that saw very powerful women in their own right.
The conference welcomed home Antigua and Barbuda’s Jubilee Queen of Carnival and Jaycees Queen, Tasheka Lavann. Lavann who delivered a pore-raising speech recalling her journey of healing, discovery, tenacity and obstacles sent to destroy. Through her own journey, her flourishing advice and message was clear: to never allow anyone to tell you what you can and cannot do and even in the midst of challenges, you are still enough.
Senator Jamilla Kirwan, the second speaker, was tasked with speaking on “Connections”. In its rawest form, the independent senator, mom of two, recent cancer survivor, raised the bar by alluding to the importance of the right connections not just in professional spaces but the right village to walk through the varying levels of personal growth and development. Kirwan attributed her success story in her cancer battle to the women who travelled with her, sat in chemotherapy sessions and picked up the pieces with her children as needed. The importance of a village.
The final guest speaker was Jamaican native Juliet Bodley. An engineer, a masterful content creator under the alias “Julie Mango” challenged the audience to her topic confidence.
Not a dry eye was left in the room, as Bodley recounted her face to face battles in her personal and professional life that challenged how she viewed herself. Bodley often questioned her own confidence and beliefs.
Over time, through growth, healing and renewed sense of spirit, Julie Mango found her passion and pursuit, connecting with many women across the world through content creation and TedxTalks globally. Every woman stood to their feet and cheered the many speeches of the day that resonated with their own personal stories.
Entertainment was provided by Zahra Airall, Karen Brooks and Kelly Richardson, who moved the crows with their performances.
Norton and her team remain committed to providing a space for women to network, collaborate and recharge through Empowerment Sessions such as this.
The 5th Annual VIP Women’s conference is slated for 2027 and all in attendance committed to returning to the life altering experience.