The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) is hosting the 17th Biennial Conference of the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars.
The event, which began on 12 June and concludes on 14 June, is bringing together academics and activists from across the region.
The three-day conference is themed ‘Global feminist leadership in a time of crisis: Scholarship, advocacy, activism, creativity and pedagogy’.
It features keynote addresses, academic panels and cultural events at UCCI’s campus in George Town, Grand Cayman.
Merle Collins, professor emerita at the University of Maryland, delivered the opening keynote titled, ‘Unknown bards: Community philosophers, political thinkers, and the shaping of scholarship’.
Several sessions focused specifically on Cayman Islands topics, including presentations on women’s labour in local historical context and the spiritual legacy of Caymanian women.
Independent scholar Mikana Scott presented on ‘The seminal role of women’s labour in a historical context in the Cayman Islands’, while Annikki Hill explored ‘The diverse spiritual legacy of Caymanian women’.
A dedicated panel on Friday, 13 June, is titled, ‘Leading change: Interdisciplinary dialogues on female leadership in the Cayman Islands’ features prominent local figures.
These include Cindy Scotland OBE, CEO of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Natalie Urquhart BEM, director of the National Gallery, and Theresa Pitcairn, resident director of Merrill Lynch Bank and Trust Company.
The conference also hosted a lunch plenary on ‘Her story, our nation: Reframing women’s roles in the making of the Cayman Islands’ presented by JA Roy Bodden, Cayman author and president emeritus of UCCI.
Other highlights included panels on Caribbean women’s activism spanning four centuries, reproductive health issues, speculative fiction by female authors, and digital storytelling as resistance.
Cultural events include a visit to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands on Friday. The conference concludes with an island tour on Saturday, 14 June.
The event is supported by local organisations including the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, National Gallery, Cayman Islands National Museum, and Business and Professional Women’s Club Grand Cayman.
