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"I don't want to do this kind of work, I want to finish school," she told IRIN/ PlusNews . "But I feel I don't have anyone; my family can't help me." Even if she had finished school, things may not have turned out differently for Marie Jessy, who lives in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
More than 60 percent of Haitians live in poverty on less than US$2 a day, and the unemployment rate is over 30 percent. In the past year they have been struggling to cope with crippling increases in the prices of food and transport, while remittances from family members living overseas have been shrinking; both consequences of global economic trends.
The four consecutive tropical storms that hit the Caribbean island nation in August and September wiped out much of the country's agricultural sector and cut roads to many cities, pushing living costs even higher.
The resulting food crisis already threatens many HIV-positive people who can no longer afford adequate nutrition, but it may also increase the number of new infections as more desperate young women resort to sex work to survive.
According to the 2008 UNAIDS Epidemic Update, overall HIV prevalence in Haiti has halved in recent years to the current rate of 2.2 percent, but the number of young Haitians having sex before the age of 15 has increased, while condom use among women who had more than one sexual partner in the last 12 months has decreased.
"Women are particularly vulnerable," noted Steeve Laguerre of Catholic Relief Services, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that provides food and other support to people infected and affected by HIV. "We have a lot of cross-generational sex between young girls and older men who can provide for them."
Marie Jessy is off the streets now and living with her 32-year-old boyfriend. "People ask me if he's not my father or older brother, but that doesn't bother me because I need his help," she said.
The reasons women enter into such relationships were nearly always the same, said Fritz Moise, executive director of the Foundation for Reproductive Health and Family Education (FOSREF), a local NGO that runs drop-in centres for young people and sex workers: "Poverty, misery, and many of them have a child to support."
FOSREF runs 29 centres around the country: 16 assist youth, while 11 assist sex workers, but according to Moise, there is an increasing overlap between the two.
"The sex business starts at [the age of] 15 or 16. They go to the youth centres, but they won't admit they're sex workers," he said. "They're the most at risk because the clients are mostly older, married men who think it's safer to have unprotected sex with a young girl."
The FOSREF centres, called "Lakay" (Creole for our home), offer counselling and testing for HIV, treatment of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and vocational training that aims to give the women an alternative to sex work.
"Our job is easy, because in most places any job will pay more than what they make," said Moise, who estimated that most sex workers in Port-au-Prince's downtown area earned less than US$1 per client, and slightly more in Petionville, an affluent suburb in the hills above the city.
Seven years ago, the rate of HIV infection among sex workers in some parts of the capital was as high as 30 percent, but testing figures from FOSREF's centres now indicate a prevalence of about 6 percent.
Many have died and some have moved out of prostitution, but Moise also attributed the decline to FOSREF's aggressive promotion of condoms. To participate in the vocational training programmes and benefit from other services the centres offer, the sex workers must commit to a "100 percent condom policy", which is strictly enforced.
"We use mystery clients who offer extra money to have sex without condoms," he explained. "If she agrees, she loses access to all opportunities through the programme."
The policy may seem harsh, but Moise insisted it was effective, although there was no way of ensuring that the women used condoms with their regular boyfriends.
Adele*, 23, got into sex work after she finished school and could find no other way to support herself. Before coming to the FOSREF centre in Carrefour, an impoverished neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince, she knew about condoms but had used them infrequently. Now she always uses them, even with her boyfriend. "I have to protect myself because I don't know if he protects himself," she said.
Most people living in Carrefour are unemployed and "living in very precarious conditions", according to Rose Anne Auguste, who runs a community-based organisation that supports HIV-positive women in the area.
Many of the women depend on male sexual partners for financial support and protection from the sexual violence that is rife in the city's slums. "If there was socio-economic security for the woman, it wouldn't be necessary for her to find a boyfriend," said Auguste. "They have one boyfriend, but the men have several girlfriends at a time."
Marie Jessy talks wistfully of returning to school, but her hopes for a future that doesn't involve sex work seem to be more strongly tied to finding "someone special".
"Most guys outside aren't good," she said, picking at some scabs on her arm, the legacy of a recent fight with another girl who attacked her with a broken bottle. "I want someone who will help me."
*Not their real names
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- Jamaican American Analyst |
Michelle D. Bernard, political analyst for MSNBC and president of the Independent Women's Forum, a Washington think-tank advocating limited government, personal responsibility and the free market, said Caribbean-Americans will be inspired by Obama, who has overcome racial obstacles to make a serious bid for the White House.
`A lot of members of the Caribbean community see so much hope in Barack Obama because of where he's come and where he is now,` Bernard told CWNN in an interview on Monday, a day ahead of the historic U.S. Presidential election. `You don't see that kind of struggle in the candidacy of John McCain.`
Once the Caribbean community becomes organized, tying itself to one party's issues might prompt the other to write it off, she warned. `All of the issues matter to us,` said Bernard. `Some might be more significant than others but all of them matter to us.`
She warned that despite the community's attraction to Obama, Democrats should not feel they have a lock on Caribbean-American support. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican of Jamaican descent, also appeals to the Caribbean community, she said.
Americans of African descent, whether they have a Caribbean background or not, tend to have the same concerns during an election, she added. But she surmised that Caribbeans involved in imports and exports will have their own concerns about trade. `It makes sense that people are going to vote their economic interests,` she said.
Bernard said she has heard commentators on a black radio program, possibly `The Tom Joyner show,` talk of a need to address Caribbean community concerns. But overall, this year's candidates have targeted their campaigns toward traditional categories such as age, race, class and gender rather than toward specialized groups, such as the Caribbean community, she said.
Still, Bernard, who can't publically support a candidate because of her connection to a non-profit group, credited McCain for running a clean campaign and not resorting to attacks based on race and religion, and for working hard to obtain non-white votes. Based on his campaign, she said Caribbean people would view him as someone who would represent the interests of all Americans.
Bernard, who will provide election night commentary on MSNBC, said this particular contest has excited her. As a person of color, she is excited by Obama's bid for the presidency, and as a woman, by Republican Sarah Palin's campaign to be vice-president, she said.
She said she was impressed by Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention. `She completely rocked the house,` Bernard said.
But the analyst conceded Palin was `not the same woman` in subsequent press interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric, adding that the more independent she is from McCain campaign handlers, the better she performs.
`Maybe she's not ready to be vice-president yet, but I do believe she has a huge political future,` Bernard said.
Anything other than a clear victory for one candidate would be
bad for the country, added the Jamaican
American. Still, shepredicted that this election will be a nail-biter. Although, noted Bernard, Obama is significantly ahead in the polls.
`I am somebody who believes it's not really over until the fat lady sings,` she warned. - By Kirk Jackson/ CWNN
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CCNR Administrator Mary Devlin led the honors for Ms. Babb, who steadily progressed from an initial job as a nursing assistant to her current position overseeing medical records services. Over that time period, the North Bronx resident also earned Associate's and Bachelor's degrees, with support from a CCNR tuition reimbursement benefit. In outlining Ms. Babb's dedication, Ms. Devlin singled out her service as founding chair of the Home's Values in Action Committee, a role she continues in today.
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at San Francisco feminist conference |
San Francisco, Sept. 30, 2008: Bay Area residents and guests from across
the U.S. and abroad will have the rare opportunity to meet and
hear 87-year-old Norma Abdulah speak on Sunday, October 5 at
the national Radical Women conference, "The Persistent Power
of Socialist Feminism" in San Francisco.Abdulah is a lifelong Harlemite whose family came to the U.S. from Trinidad. She was the first Black woman to be a member of the Department of Science and Philosophy of the Graduate School at Columbia University. She joined the Communist Party in her 20s, but left when she was told she should limit herself to speaking on "the Negro problem," rather than issues of Marxist philosophy. Nevertheless, Abdulah remained a socialist and worked with various organizations on the Left. In the 1960s, she collaborated with such legendary liberation heroes as Malcolm X, Fanny Lou
Hamer, and Kwame Nkruma, the first prime minister and president of Ghana. She taught in the New York City Public School system for 35 years and helped lead the drive to form the United Federation of Teachers.
Abdulah became active with Radical Women shortly after the organization opened a new office in a Harlem storefront. She was impressed with Radical Women's multiracial approach to fighting for liberation on all fronts and its recognition of the powerful leadership capacity of women of color. She told interviewer Jen Laverdure, "In Radical Women, I continue the fight for human liberation. I can express myself there and get respect for my ideas."
At the Radical Women conference, Abdulah will take part in a Sunday, 9am panel on "The galvanizing impact of multiracial organizing in a society divided by racism." The conference is being held from October 3-6 at the Women's Building, 3543 18th St., in the Mission District, near the 16th Street BART stop.
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Bridgetwn, Barbados, Sept. 7, 2008: VIVIAN ANNE GITTENS , CEO of the Nation
Publishing Co. Ltd, has also been appointed head of The Nation
Group. As CEO of the Nation Corporation she will join the board of directors of the parent company One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM).
This public company, which has more than 900 Barbadian shareholders, also has media interests in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua, St Kitts, Montserrat and Guyana.
Sir Fred Gollop, OCM's chairman, in making the announcement on Friday, said Gittens, in her 15 years with the group, had made a significant contribution to its growth and development.
She was educated at Queen's College, and graduated in 1974 with a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad.
She completed a Master's in business administration in 1981 at Ohio University, majoring in marketing and financial decision-making.
She became a member of the Society of Management Accountants of Ontario in 1984 on gaining her full certification as a management accountant (CMA).
She has served on the board of the Barbados Community College and on the Advisory Commission on Women.
In the private sector she has been a member of the board of directors of Sagicor Financial Inc., Sagicor Life Inc., The Mutual Bank of the Caribbean Inc., The Arawak Cement Company, and Trident Insurance Co. Ltd.
She is married to Don Gittens, a chemical engineer, and they are the parents of two daughters. (PR )
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Brooks, 53, succeeded Hugh Arthur, who retired after serving eight years as president-general.
Cheered by the many delegates, Brooks accepted the gavel from Arthur when the BWU 67th Annual Delegates' Conference continued yesterday at Solidarity House , Harmony Hall, St Michael.
In her acceptance speech, she promised to preside over the union's affairs with zeal and passion no less than her predecessors had shown.
She said she hoped her presidency would encourage union members and workers to "get off the fence" and become more involved in trade union matters.
Brooks was the lone nominee for the post. A member of the union for 36 years, she served as a vice-president from 2000. Brooks, who was educated at the Federal High School, has had a long career in the printing industry, starting with Island Press in 1972.
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WREC attracts an
international audience, with over 100 participating countries.
Held every two years, this is the major event in the field of
Renewable Energy. The meeting facilitated exchanges of knowledge
and business initiatives between participants from developed
and developing countries. In addition, the congress assisted
with generating financial and institutional support for local
and international renewable energy projects. Some of the latest
research in renewable energy technologies was presented at the
Congress. WREC X follows successful meetings in Florence (2006),
Denver (2004), and Cologne (2002). WREC XI will be held in Abu
Dhabi in 2010. In July 2002 Dr Haraksingh was also honoured as
the recipient of the Outstanding Scientist Award - The First
Oliver Headley Award in Cologne, Germany. Dr Haraksingh has distinguished herself as one of the premier women in the Field of Renewable Energy in the Caribbean. She currently lectures in the Department of Physics at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, Trinidad. Her focus is in Pure Physics, Solar Energy, Geophysics and Earth Sciences. She has been serving as a member of the International Steering Committee of the World Renewable Energy Network for over ten years.
In an effort to help develop renewable energy technologies in the Caribbean region, she also serves as a Member of the Projects Steering Committee of the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP), CARICOM. She heads the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee of the Pilot Project on The Use of Renewable Energy Technologies in Trinidad and Tobago, an initiative of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Dr Haraksingh has been serving as the President of the Caribbean Solar Energy Society (CSES) for ten years. She is one of the major organisers of the CSES SATIS (Sustainable Applications for Tropical Island States) series of conferences which started in 1994 in Barbados. Since then the conference has been held bi-anually in St Lucia, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad, Curacao and Orlando, Florida. She has co-edited the Book of Abstracts and full CDRom Proceedings of some of the SATIS conferences.
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Miriam Leiva said she would continue to support the Ladies In White but would not participate in the group or its decision-making processes, or speak on its behalf.
The surprise announcement comes amid rumours of a split between Leiva and fellow moderate Ladies in White members and other members who have called on the group to step up public protests and more openly oppose the communist government.
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The managing director
of Toute Bagai Publishing company, Ms. Soodeen has been chosen
by a New York television production company, City Lights Television,
to work with them on two series to be aired on the Travel Channel
later this year, and another currently being aired. Initially, Soodeen was recruited to feature in the series "21 Sexiest Beaches in the World". But so impressed were the producers with her performance that she was kept on and will be a presenter for two other shows, "21 Hottest Bars in the World" and "21 Greatest Escapes of the Caribbean."
Apart from being a publisher, Soodeen also is the co-producer of the Food and Rum Festival held in St. Lucia for the past two years. She sees her new role with City Lights Television as another great opportunity to advance the cause of Caribbean tourism.
Her association with the production company began last February when she was recruited to work on the "Sexist Beaches" series. Soodeen said: "The producers found us after purchasing a copy of MACO Destinations at a Barnes & Noble store in New York."
Not only did Soodeen work with them on compiling a comprehensive list of beaches, but she was also one of the presenters on the show, describing the atmosphere and the beauty of each beach.
She added: "The Travel Channel's original list of beaches to be aired on their show only featured about three beaches from the Caribbean in Jamaica, The Bahamas and Anguilla. In working closely with them, I was able to convince the producer to include other important destinations in the Caribbean such as Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Barths."
Soodeen said MACO's aim has always been to showcase the Caribbean on a world stage, and the Travel Channel series featuring Caribbean destinations provides "incredible PR" for the region in these trying times.
"To have an entire show dedicated to the Caribbean would not only promote the islands as a destination, but also gives me the unique opportunity to include some new real estate developments and hotels, that are associated with MACO. The show also gives me the opportunity to showcase islands which would not normally be featured on a travel show such as Trinidad, St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Grenada," she said.
Dylan Edgar, who works with City Lights Television, says Soodeen has been a wonderful asset to the show cast and a source of helpful information who added a lot to the content of the programme.
He described The Travel Channel as the single most popular and best resource for the American viewing audience to get aspiring and concrete information about planning trips and doing trips.
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BY CHERISSE MOE |
Trinidad
Newsday, July 31, 2008: The
old adage, hard work pays off, may sound cliche, but that's exactly
what got Victoria Lenzoi Lee to the top.This 24-years-young San Fernando native is an architect, artist, illustrator, a graphic and fashion designer, as well as an aspiring costume designer.
Lenzoi Lee is living life in London-literally.
"I moved to England when I was 15 because my dad got a job there," she revealed.
It was at the University of Nottingham that Lee would earn her Bachelors Degree in architecture.
Overcoming challenges
"Migrating at such a young age was difficult," Lee explained.
"I experienced racism at times. It was tough, but I realised it was only a select group of people. Not everyone is like that, so I got over it."
Having no friends when she first moved to England made Lee a stronger person.
"In the beginning, I had no friends, but that was a good thing. It made me more driven to improve myself. I got really good grades at school," she said.
Always up to a challenge, after completing her degree, Lee applied to work as an intern at the popular House and Garden Magazine in London.
To her surprise she was chosen. She worked there for two weeks. Though her stay was short, she said it was "a great experience."
Lee's love for the arts also took her to the Far East.
"I recently went to China with the AA School of Architecture to do a project on a site there. I took the opportunity to
look for my ancestors.
I didn't find them, but at least I got to see where my grandfather
was from," she said with a chuckle.Artistic eyes
With an eye for detail, Lee approaches all her pieces with precision and flair. It's no surprise her fan base is growing steadily, both locally and internationally.
"I used to come home every year and sell three or four of my paintings. When I was younger, I would show my stuff through a gallery, now I showcase my work through myself. The response has increased a lot. It feels like a greater accomplishment," she asserted.
Though she lives a million miles away from home, T&T is always close to her heart.
Sky is the limit for Lee
"I try to incorporate a lot of things from Trinidad into my work. My final year project was based on the historical aspect of Carnival. Everybody loved it. They realised Trinidad is not just a dot on the map."
Big dreams
"I eventually want to put together a band for Notting Hill Carnival. My long-term goal is to help other Caribbean artists showcase their work to first world countries. It was hard for me in the beginning, so I want to help young people," said Lee.
She said: "I hope artists who have left Trinidad can get help from the government to pursue their goals.
"It doesn't make sense us going out there, learning all this stuff and keeping it to ourselves. We might as well share this knowledge with our fellow Trinbagonians."
Lee plans to return to London in August where she will pursue her masters in the arts at the Central St Martins College of Art and Design.
Sorry guys, she's single and wants to remain that way.
"I want to focus on my career. That's important to me right now," she declared with a smile.
Talk about determination.
Editor's Note: For more information on Victoria Lenzoi Lee's art pieces visit www.lenzoi.com or www.myspace/lenzoi.com
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This follows the passage of a new law in the country's parliament.
Under the new legislation police supervision for three years becomes mandatory for people who have completed prison terms for armed robbery, domestic violence and hijacking.
However those convicted of molestation, rape, sexual exploitation and prostitution among others face police supervision for life.
While generally supporting the new law members of the opposition said the legislation was not well thought out.
They expressed concern that it gave the minister power to add or delete offences without seeking parliamentary approval.
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OAS SECRETARY GENERAL TELLS WOMEN LEADERS |
The OAS Secretary General was addressing a group of more than fifty women at a forum on Democracy and Women's Leadership in the Americas. An initiative of the OAS' Department of External Relations and the Women's Foreign Policy Group, the conference drew participation from a variety of other institutions, among them the World Bank, United Nations, U.S. Department of State, Inter-American Dialogue, and the Council of Women World Leaders. The Women's Foreign Policy Group is a non-profit organization that promotes global engagement and the leadership, visibility and participation of women in international affairs.
Insulza told the women's conference that democracy is now entrenched in the hemisphere's nations, and he touted the value of the 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter. He also observed that, on the whole, gains have been made in the Americas over the last few years in reducing poverty and extreme poverty, along with malnutrition. But The Secretary General said discrimination remains a big problem, particularly affecting women. He outlined OAS engagement in the countries of the Americas, promoting democracy, human rights, development and cooperation, and pointed to initiatives to increase the number of women in top OAS leadership positions.
Underscoring the significance of the landmark 1994 Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, Secretary General Insulza said it recognizes violence against women as a violation of human rights and to date is the only international treaty in the world to specifically address the issue of violence against women. He noted the organization's longstanding engagement in support of the rights of women, and cited the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women's Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality, intended to accelerate the integration of a gender perspective both within the OAS and in the policies of our Hemisphere's governments.
Women's Foreign Policy Group President Patricia Ellis delivered the opening remarks to the session, with Director of the OAS Department of External Relations Irene Klinger moderating and introducing the Secretary General.
A panel discussion on women's leadership in the Americas was a highlight of the conference. The panel comprised Ambassadors to the OAS from Peru, María Zavala Valladares; from Trinidad and Tobago, Glenda Morean-Phillip; and from Uruguay, María del Lujan Flores, with Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) Executive Secretary Carmen Lomellin as moderator.
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And, women still earn lower incomes than men, although women's level of educational attainment has been higher than men's.
These were the findings contained in the International Labour Organisation report entitled Reconciling work and family: issues and policies in TT, launched at the UWI's St Augustine Campus, yesterday.
According to Reddock, the reason fewer women entered the workforce was that many of them, particularly Indo-Trinidadian women, were involved in primarily home-based businesses and were not defined as "workers."
But, according to Reddock, the number of women entering the workforce will rise now that more women had access to formal education.
According to a labour force survey by the Central Statistical Office, for 2005, 340,700 men were had jobs while 228,900 women were employed.
Reddock said, "This reality places a special pressure on women in the labour market as employment outside the home continues to be important for their social and economic autonomy."
She noted that there has been an expansion in the types of occupations in which women were now involved, but women had to prove their commitment to the workplace while ensuring that their family responsibilities was not an obstruction.
Reddock said taking care of the family was still seen as a woman's responsibility and was not a concern of employers or the State.
She said the business sector has only recognised, minimally, the importance of work-life balance, and has not yet taken an aggressive approach in instituting practical mechanisms such as breast- feeding breaks, childcare facilities or homework centres.
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During yesterday's launch of the 10th anniversary of the Victim Support Unit (VSU) in Portmore, St Catherine, it was revealed that since 2005, 22,739 cases of violence were seen by officers working from the 13 VSU offices in Jamaica. Of this number, 13,979 victims were females, while 8,760 were males.
There were 9,625 incidents of domestic violence in 2007, a 29.2 per cent rise over the previous year, according to the latest edition of the Economic and Social Survey . Approximately 4.4 per cent of last year's national murders were attributed to domestic disputes, a 0.1 percentage-point decline over 2006.
Vulnerable victims
"Women are more vulnerable to become victims of violence, as the seven groups which fall under the VSU are rape, carnal abuse, incest, attempted rape, indecent assault, domestic violence and murder," said Carol Palmer, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice.
"It is for this reason why females continue to suffer," she added.
The VSU's work in bringing healing and closure to victims of crime was commended, particularly in a touching testimonial from a victim whose husband was shot and killed during a robbery.
The 10th anniversary celebration is part of the continued drive for restorative justice, where the victims of crime can play an active role during the trial and sentencing of an accused person and even after the completion of the sentence.
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By Avia Collinder (Jamaica Gleaner) |
Currently the human resources (HR) director for Red Stripe in Jamaica, she will relocate to Miami with her family in the summer as she takes on the full weight of her new role.
The
HR specialist, who joined Red Stripe 11 years ago and has performed
several roles, has been HR director for the last six years, during
which time she has copped every premier award in her field..
Most recently, she collected the Human Resources Management Association of Jamaica Golden Flagship award for 2008. In 2007, she collected the Jamaica Employers' Federation Employer of Choice Award. She was also the recent recipient of her company's Best of Chamber award, which includes measurement of HR management.
Human Resources Award
In 2006 and 2007, as well, Jennifer Foreman collected the Bureau of Standards Human Resources Award. In its advisory on her appointment, the Diageo group declared, "Jennifer's knowledge of the region, strong functional experience and leadership will be a great help in delivering."
The new talent director role in Diageo will be expected to drive the talent development agenda, and by extension, business performance and growth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Jennifer explains, "Talent in general refers to the sum of a person's abilities, such as his or her skills, knowledge, experience, intelligence, attitude and character. This role focuses mainly on leadership talent, so it focuses on the leadership standard that we demand in all our leaders."
Some key activities of driving the talent development agenda include ensuring that development plans for key individuals are implemented according to the company's diversity and inclusion strategy, and ensuring that "the required blend of diverse talent is in place to fill leadership positions, coordinating succession planning within the region", the multi-talented HR manager explains.
Foreman points out that the Latin American and Caribbean region is considered very important, representing about 10 per cent of Diageo's global business, and is a key growth driver for the group.
The region, she notes, has been enjoying tremendous growth for the last four to five years, and the plan is for this trend to continue.
Born in Barbados but growing up and being educated in Trinidad, Jennifer Foreman moved to Jamaica to do her post-graduate studies in management, and has been living here for the last 12 years.
Before going to Red Stripe 11 years ago, she was employed as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Foreman, who possesses a BSc in economics, an MSc in development studies and a certificate in advanced human resource management, says that the main difference between management consulting role and HR was "simply the difference between sharing best practice and theory with clients and actually having to implement and resolve issues live".
Going over to HR, she states, "was not a hard transition. I believe I had a good foundation in the theory, it was now about solving issues myself on a day to day basis. I had gained some of the experience from the HR consulting that I did. I later added a human resource special course of learning plus many leadership training courses to my basic education."
Biggest challenges
At Red Stripe, she says, one of the biggest challenges was how to attract, retain and develop key talent.
"In terms of reaching our goals, we all work with management to tackle these issues. One example of how we develop talent is to seek and provide development opportunities elsewhere in the Diageo group. It is a key part of the talent strategy of any multinational company. We also place emphasis on attracting the unique skills which the company needs."
Human resources management, she notes, also requires demonstrable consultancy and coaching, skills/experience, and a proven track record of relationship building, plus understanding of the linkages between organisation effectiveness, talent development and reward processes.
It took her 11 years, she states, to develop these these skills. She was made director in her last six years at Red Stripe, and in the final two, she was incorporated in the regional HR leadership team of Diageo.
The awards recently received, Foreman notes, represent the collective effort of her department. They were given on the basis of the company's best-practice human resources policies and practices, and "the right environment for employees to feel valued and perform".
Commitment to results
In her new role - the most challenging yet - she will be HR director for the employees based in Miami, as well as regional director of talent. She brings to the new post core abilities which should again help her to excel, these including a commitment to results, attention to detail and rigour, and her trademark determination and perseverance.
To those who would follow in her footsteps, the career professional notes that networking both internally and externally is another critical career skill.
Jennifer Foreman says, "If one studies the concept of emotional intelligence, it is said that successful leaders are not necessarily those who are the brightest, but rather those who are able to get the job done with, and through, people. I believe I have been able to network at the various levels in the organisation as well as with external stakeholders in order to achieve the company's goals."
Foreman expresses complete satisfaction with her career direction, commenting, "I am very happy with HR. It's one of the areas of any business that I believe make the biggest difference in terms of performance of the organisation."
In three years, she states, "I hope to have had three successful years in this new role and (to be) looking to expand my horizons even more in the HR field. There are many opportunities in Diageo."
Foreman, who is married to Andrew Foreman (a Jamaican and the real reason, she says, why she came back to Jamaica), is mother to two sons - Justin who will be 12 in September, and Jonathan who will be seven this month.
Family and work
She reflects that her husband was the first to hear about her promotion, especially because it involved relocation to Florida and "we had to be certain that this was the right move for my family".
She notes, "I have tried very hard to manage both a career and family life and I believe I'm doing OK in that area. I must admit it's a hard a balance to get. As a global company, there is some amount of international travel and that is the hardest part. But, it is possible when you have as great and supportive a husband as I do."
Foreman notes that her husband will continue his business - Foreman, Chung & Sykes Civil Engineering Consulting, remotely, from the family's new home in Miami. "After all, it's a global village," Jennifer quips.
Currently, most of her time is spent at work, as she commutes between Jamaica and regional offices in preparation for the transition. However, she still finds time to attend church at Stella Maris in St Andrew, indulge in her favourite exercises of walking in her neighbourhood and view television drama with her family around her.