Commonwealth Day was observed in the Turks and Caicos Islands yesterday under 2011’s theme, “Women as Agents of Change.” This relatively new holiday, concepted in 1975 by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, is celebrated the second Monday in March with the goal of focusing “attention to the association and its contribution to a harmonious global environment.”
Please click on this timeline, a very cool graphic representation for the agents of change women have already been making since this holiday began. This years theme coincides with the 100th anniversary international womens day.
Who would be your personal “woman as agent of change?” Who would be your woman of change on an international level? My Turks and Caicos Islands woman of change is “Grace.” Although Grace can not share her real name she is willing to share her survival story.
“No matter how horrible my experience was, I feel that speaking out is more positive than all the women who stay home and never tell anyone they were attacked.” . . . “I just hope that telling my story helps, in some way, to change things for the better.”
Grace your bravery WILL change things for the better. Your story is helping other victims cope and hopefully come forward. Your story is educating the community on injustices which need to be changed. Your story is igniting a fire of anger, motivation, and unity within women in these islands and beyond. Thank you for your courage. And thanks to another woman of change, Gemma Handy not only for writing Grace’s story but getting it published in the Weekly News.
