**NEW YORK, 17 th March, 2024…**President of the Upper House and the head of Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to the annual Commission on the Status of Women Conference, Senator the Hon. Alincia Williams Grant, ended her visit to New York last week, by holding bilateral discussions with the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.

During the bilateral discussions the top UN official, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, and Senator Grant, reflected on the role the UN agency is playing in improving the lives of women globally and especially those in small island developing states like Antigua and Barbuda.

Only last year, UN Women demonstrated its commitment to the goals of SIDS by partnering with Antigua and Barbuda in hosting the Gender Equality Forum, which formed a major component of the historic SIDS4 Conference.

Ms. Gumbonzvanda was in Antigua and Barbuda for the landmark gathering and during her meeting with Senator Williams Grant last Friday reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to the goals of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), the framework document that is mapping the work of SIDS for the next ten years.

Senator Williams Grant expressed her gratitude to Ms. Gumbonzvanda for UN Women’s financial support which allowed Antigua and Barbuda to fully participate in the CSW Conference.

She also used the opportunity to render Antigua and Barbuda’s appreciation to the Multi-Country Office (MCO) of UN Women in Barbados for the supportive role it continues to play in strengthening national policies and programmes geared at fostering gender equality and combating gender-based violence.

Senator Williams Grant was accompanied to the bilateral discussion by First Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Mission to the United Nations Asha Challenger, Executive Director of the Directorate of Gender Affairs Jamie Saunders and Programme Officer T’Chell Looby.