President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams
ACCRA--President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams urged world leaders to accelerate efforts to achieve gender equality in an era increasingly shaped by digital technology.
She made the remarks as Chair of the 3rd International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE 2025), held in Accra, Ghana, on November 21, 2025.
Wescot-Williams opened by highlighting St. Maarten’s history, African heritage, and commitment to unity, while stressing the importance of advancing gender equality at a global forum held on the African continent. She reminded delegates that progress remains unfinished three decades after the Beijing Declaration, saying, “Every barrier to women and girls’ equality anywhere becomes a threat to all of us, everywhere.”
She welcomed the Beijing+30 Action Agenda and its focus on closing the digital divide, eliminating violence, expanding economic opportunity, promoting climate justice, and increasing women’s participation in decision-making. However, she cautioned that without adequate financing and gender-responsive data, “commitments remain rhetorical.”
Much of her address centred on the digital transformation shaping economies and societies worldwide. She stressed that technology can drive equality, but also widen gaps when access and opportunities are uneven. She pointed to disparities in mobile Internet access, STEM participation, and the impact of online harassment. “The digital divide is not only about access; it is about power, who designs technology, who controls data, and who benefits from innovation,” she said.
She highlighted regional innovation led by women in Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, and St. Maarten. She also noted that Ife Badejo’s AI Islands Summit is helping small island states prepare for AI adoption and supporting Caribbean women entrepreneurs.
Calling on delegates to transform the conference momentum into sustained action, Wescot-Williams concluded, “Let us be the generations that do more than diagnose inequality – let us be the generations that dismantle it. Equality is the destination. Technology is the vehicle. And our responsibility begins now.”
In a separate press release, the Democratic Party (DP) applauded Wescot-Williams for her address at the conference in Accra, Ghana. Democratic Party President Roberto Richardson said Wescot-Williams’ “leadership on the world stage reflects the strength, vision, and courage that define our party” and inspires continued action at home.
He said her message that “our responsibility begins now” is a call to action the Democratic Party fully embraces. “We congratulate her and are proud to have her as our leader, representing St. Maarten with vision, courage, and distinction,” he said.
