The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Network convened in Nassau, The Bahamas for a four-day workshop under the theme 'Parliamentarians as Drivers of Women’s Economic Empowerment' from 29 April to 2 May 2025.

Hosted in partnership with the Parliament of The Bahamas, the workshop brought together Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth, including representatives from Alberta, Antigua and Barbuda, Eswatini, Free State, Gauteng, Ghana, India, Karnataka, Kerala, KwaZulu-Natal, Namibia, Nigeria, Nova Scotia, Pakistan, Quebec, Rajasthan, Sri Lanka, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, Uttar Pradesh, Wales, Western Australia, and Western Cape, to examine legislative, financial and social strategies to advance women’s economic inclusion.

Above: CWP Steering Committee Members at the Bahamas Senate Sitting ahead of the CWP Workshop.

Day One - 29 April 2025: Opening of the CWP Workshop

The 2025 CWP Workshop commenced with an official opening ceremony hosted at the Breezes Hotel in Nassau. The session began with a prayer, the National Anthem of The Bahamas, and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians anthem.

Delegates were formally welcomed by Hon. Kate Doust, Vice-Chairperson of the CWP; Senator J. LaShell Adderley, President of the Senate of The Bahamas; and Hon. Patricia Deveaux, Speaker of the Bahamas House of Assembly.

Hon. Kate Doust welcomed delegates to the CWP Workshop during the Opening Ceremony, setting the tone for four days of collaborative learning and dialogue. She acknowledged that though the number of women in Parliament is growing, there is a need to amplify female voices and fully utilise women-occupied positions of power. “Whilst there is a density of numbers growing, it becomes more important for us as women in Parliament to use the density of numbers to make our voice louder.”

Senator J. LaShell Adderley of The Bahamas echoed this with her remarks which underscored the significance of regional and international partnerships in achieving meaningful policy reform and gender-responsive leadership.

She said: “We have assembled here today as architects of legislation, stewards of public budget, watchdogs of policy, and the voice…for women everywhere.”

Finally, Hon. Patricia Deveaux, Speaker of the House from The Bahamas highlighted the importance of parliamentary leadership in advancing gender equity and women’s economic empowerment; “When women rise, communities flourish, and when legislators lead with vision and purpose, real transformation takes fruit.”

Participants received an overview of the workshop agenda and completed a pre-workshop survey to set the stage for the week’s discussions.

The day concluded with a tour of the Bahamian Parliament and a welcome reception at Government House in Nassau. The reception was hosted by the Governor-General of The Bahamas, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Dame Cynthia Pratt and The Bahamas Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training, Hon. Gleyns Hanna-Martin spoke about the importance of women’s role in education and leadership.

The reception provided an opportunity for delegates to network and engage in informal exchanges ahead of the substantive sessions.

Day Two - 30 April 2025: Maintaining a Gender Lens in Financial Oversight

The second day of the workshop focused on building the capacity of Parliamentarians to apply a gender lens in financial scrutiny and budgeting processes. The programme began with an interactive “powerwalk” exercise designed to prompt reflection on the lived realities of marginalised groups and to challenge participants to recognise structural discrimination.

Subsequent sessions explored the principles and practice of gender responsive budgeting, led by CPA Headquarters Secretariat staff and Monique Long, Planning and Coordination Specialist at UN Women Caribbean. The afternoon focused on enhancing inclusive and effective law making, with an emphasis on gender-sensitive scrutiny of Bills and post-legislative oversight. Delegates participated in practical exercises that encouraged peer learning and the application of gender analysis in legislative work.

Day Three - 1 May 2025: Challenging Legal Barriers to Women’s Empowerment

Day three addressed the critical issue of discriminatory legal frameworks that hinder women's economic empowerment. The morning session, led by CPA facilitators and representatives from UN Women, examined the identification of gender-discriminatory laws and the strategies available to Parliamentarians for legal reform.

A dedicated session on The Bahamas offered local context, featuring a keynote address by Dame Janet Bostwick DBE, and contributions from Hon. J. LaShell Adderley, Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle MP, and Samantha Rolle, Executive Director of The Bahamas Small Business Development Centre. The day concluded with a field visit to women-led enterprises supported by the Access Accelerator Programme, allowing delegates to observe the impact of economic empowerment initiatives in practice.

Day Four - 2 May 2025: Media Outreach and Youth Engagement

The fourth day of the workshop focused on strengthening public engagement and advocacy through media and communications. The morning featured a panel discussion with media and communications experts, including Clint Watson, General Manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, Miranda Inniss, President of Elevate CTC, and Hon. Sioned Williams (Wales) and Hon. Lucie Lecours (Quebec).

Delegates participated in a practical communications exercise where they crafted concise advocacy messages relating to gender-responsive budgeting in their jurisdictions. In the afternoon, participants recorded brief statements for use in social media and outreach, followed by a session to reflect on key learnings.

The day concluded with a youth engagement event featuring Members of the National Youth Parliament and representatives from the CIWiL SheLeads Programme. This intergenerational dialogue provided a platform for future leaders to engage directly with Commonwealth Parliamentarians and deepen their understanding of legislative processes and gender equality advocacy.

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The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female elected representatives in 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The network campaigns for gender equality in all spheres. For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.