By OSWALD T BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2023 – As a result of two hip-replacement operations (in 2012 and 2013), I have serious mobility problems and use a walker to get around. When I had my right hip replaced in 2013, thanks to my doctor at Georgetown University Hospital, after I spent six weeks in hospital, I was able to again walk relatively without pain or major complications.
Two years ago, however, I started having problems with my left hip, which has since developed into the mobility problem I am currently experiencing As the press consultant with The Bahamas Embassy here in Washington, D.C., however, thanks to Ambassador Wendall Jones, I am allowed to work from home. To tell the truth, this is an excellent arrangement, given the fact that I generally work well in excess of the normal eight-hour working day.
There are occasions, however, when I make every effort to attend Embassy-sponsored event, despite my disability. One such occasion was this past weekend when Mrs. Ann-Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip E. Davis, visited D.C. to be the special guest speaker at an event held by The Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex, 600 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W, on Friday. March 31.
Mrs. Davis delivered a powerful speech on the topic “Empowerment of Women and Girls: Achieving Equality in the Digital Age”.
Citing various statistics to back up her claim that there is a serious gender gap with regard to jobs in the technology sector in The Bahamas, Mrs. Davis advised more Bahamian women to become interested in this field.
She noted that there is a scant presence of women in technology-related jobs associated with computers, intelligent systems, and data analytics, adding that all of these areas need more creative women working on equal terms with men.
Mrs. Davis was introduced by Hon. Lisa Rahming, Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development, who likewise voiced similar concerns about the scarcity of women in technology-related fields.
Also included in the delegation that accompanied Mrs. Davis to D.C. were the Hon. J. Lashell Adderley, President of The Bahamas Senate; and Ms. Debbie Bartlett.
The event was attended by an array of Bahamians in the diaspora and provided an excellent opportunity for me to network and converse with fellow Bahamians, some of whom I had not seen in a long time. I also used the occasion to congratulate Mrs. Davis on the excellent job she is doing personally as First Lady of The Bahamas and for the Bahamian people generally through her Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister.
