EXCITEMENT IS building, hearts are racing with only two weeks to go before the exceptional publication Phenomenal Women hits the streets. Already some 300 women have been nominated and the process of selecting those to be included in this year's supplement is well under way.Companies supporting Phenomenal Women through sponsorship are glad to be on board. Assistant general manager for marketing at RBTT Bank, Judith Forth Blake, said her company thought it would be a good idea to be part of a project that sought to honour women, particularly those women who were not always in the limelight.
"I believe that Jamaica has a lot of phenomenal women, both those who are in the media every day and also there are many unsung ones as well. Those are the ones who from day to day, do so much with so little," Mrs. Forth Blake stated.
Llewelyn Bailey, assistant general manager of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), says his company believes that women play a great role in building societies, and while there was a time when no women were on the board and the executive committee of the JNBS, that has changed in recent times.
"Women have been at a disadvantage for many years, but they have been taking their place as intellectual equals," Mr. Bailey stated. "The stories of some of the women who we think should be featured in the publication are really inspirational and we felt the urge to give our support towards recognising them," he concluded.
TO THE CORE
Kia Motors is one of this year's sponsors, and the company's president and chief executive officer, Dwight Moore, said as a business leader, he believes it is necessary to endorse and enhance positive images in our society.
"Phenomenal Women goes right to the core of Jamaica's greatest human capital. The economic and intellectual significance of women in Jamaica and around the world is at an all-time high. This is demonstrated by the number of female presidents around the world and the fact that a woman is a key contender in the current presidential race in the People's National Party," Mr. Moore said.
Joey Issa's Cool Oasis Group and Gassan Azan's MegaMart are also sponsors of the publication.
Phenomenal Women will be published in The Gleaner on March 8.
