Future is her workshop inspires confidence in young girls

Forty girls from secondary schools across Barbados were empowered to step into their future with purpose, at a recently held one-day workshop entitled The Future is Her. In recognition of the 10th anniversary of International Day of the Girl Child on October 11th, the LeadHERship Institute and the Women and Development Unit of the UWI Open Campus brought girls ages 13-16 to Solidarity House for a fun and inspiring
day of personal development as they aspire to lead.

The Future is Her was hosted in Barbados and Antigua concurrently, benefitting 66 Caribbean girls. Founder and Project Manager of the LeadHERship Institute, Roshanna Trim, shared the relevance of the initiative.

“It’s super important because we still exist in a culture that socialises girls to be less and kind of dim themselves, because we don’t want them to be rude or sassy, but a level of confidence is required.

“Instead of waiting until you’re 20 to learn that, or until you’re 25 already going through your career, why not start from when you are in school? Why not teach them how to speak properly? How to speak boldly. How to make sure that they know there are women rooting for them, who are older than them, and who want to give them the tools and equip them with the tools needed to take on the world,” Trim said.

The event was designed to equip the young girls with tools to help them grow into bold women. Sessions included Inspire HER and Confidence Club which featured powerful affirmations and messages on self-love, In HER Bag which sought to help the girls create sound financial practices and Let’s Talk Period focused on educating them on sexual and reproductive health.

Teacher at the Ellerslie School, Melissa Smith, lauded the event saying, “I thought it was a phenomenal workshop as the girls interacted with different women from various backgrounds who have had tremendous success in their area of expertise. It was both educational and fun especially for the girls. It highlighted key areas such as building self-esteem allowing girls to ‘Speak Up’ as that was the theme which showcased ways in which girls can uplift each other, work collaboratively in groups and to foster critical and innovative thinkers.”

The eager participants shared that the workshop exceeded their expectations, allowing them to make new friends, boosted their confidence and gave them a sense of hope that they too can achieve greatness.

(PR)