The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) will this year mark International Women’s Day (IWD) with a forum titled ‘Choose to Challenge’ around the IWD 2021 Campaign theme which celebrates women’s achievements.

Scheduled for Sunday (March 7) this virtual event is designed to bring hope and strength for women in 2021, by sharing the journey and accomplishments of six women.

The first panel will feature Susan Taylor, celebrated editor emeritus of the famous Essence Magazine, who is transforming young lives in the United States with her National CARES Mentoring Programme;  Justice Carol Sharpe, Jamaica-born newly elected justice of the Supreme Court of New York; and Eva Lewis, the first female head of the 60-year old Citbank Jamaica.

A second panel will feature five female business owners who are blazing a trail of entrepreneurship in their chosen fields. They are Brittany Singh Williams, founder of Spark Education Ltd; Nadine Spence, managing director of Sixt Rent A Car; Dr Dahlia McDaniel Dickson, CEO of Charlie’s Pharmacy Ltd, Medicine Chest Ltd, Medicine Chest Health Centre Ltd; Ozette Wright, owner of Brayhorn Co Ltd; and Kimala Bennett, managing director of The LAB.

‘Choose to Challenge’ will be an interactive virtual forum with participants having the opportunity to interact with presenters to ask questions and make comments. It will be powered via Zoom and Jamaica News Network (JNN).

Sponsors of the Forum include: Citibank, N.A., Sagicor Bank, National Commercial Bank,CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, Scotiabank, JMMB Group, First Global Bank, First Heritage Cooperative Credit Union,Gleaner Premium and JNN.