Minister Johnson Calls for Stronger Systems for Women

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — November 5, 2026: Minister of State in the Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation, Hon. Kiz Johnson, has called for coordinated public services, sustained support for women’s organisations and greater influence for women in policy and financing decisions.

Minister Johnson delivered the remarks during From Crisis to Transformation: Women Leading Justice and Resilience, a session convened by Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) at the Commonwealth People’s Forum on November 4.

The session, held as part of CHOGM 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, brought together perspectives from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific to examine how climate, economic and social pressures intersect in women’s lives.

Minister Johnson challenged governments and development partners to look beyond women’s ability to withstand hardship and address the conditions that repeatedly place them at risk.

“But should our ambition simply be for women to become better and better at surviving one crisis after another?” she asked. “Surely, we must also change the conditions that leave them so exposed in the first place.”