On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, delivered the Feature Address at the International Women’s Forum Trinidad and Tobago’s (IWFTT) 4th Inspirational Women Awards Gala.

See full text of speech below:

I am delighted to join you this evening on the occasion of this, the fourth Annual Award Ceremony put on by Inspirational Women’s Forum Trinidad and Tobago, the IWFTT.

This year’s Ceremony is especially meaningful, because this year the IWFTT’s celebrates its tenth (10th) anniversary. Ten (10) years of uniting, inspiring and celebrating accomplished women. Ten (10) years of advancing exemplary leadership, while learning and supporting one another. Ten (10) years of empowering the next generation of women leaders. What a tremendous and meaningful achievement! I offer both my congratulations and my admiration to the IWFTT on having attained it.

Recognizing and honouring women’s accomplishments is far more than a symbolic gesture — as important a gesture as this is. Recognizing and honouring women’s accomplishments in fact serves a range of practical and social purposes that strengthen both women as individuals, and the society as a whole. I don’t imagine that I am venturing into anything that is even remotely controversial, when I say, with regret, that women’s contributions to society have historically been overlooked or even minimized. When women’s organizations highlight the achievements of women, they counteract and they redress this historical invisibility. They make women’s work and leadership visible in areas where they’ve been under-represented – such as in the areas of science, business, politics, medicine, and the arts, just to name a few. Celebrating accomplished women, in the way that this Award Ceremony does, also provides role models for younger generations. Seeing women succeed in diverse fields broadens the sense of what’s possible, helping girls and young women aspire to leadership and innovation. Highlighting women’s achievements also actively dismantles gender stereotypes — showing that women can and do excel in traditionally male-dominated fields and at all levels of decision-making. Another important function of Award Ceremonies like this one is that they also give greater visibility to women’s accomplishments; and, when women’s accomplishments are made more visible, there is the greater likelihood of policymakers and institutions recognizing the value of supporting women’s participation and leadership. This can drive more inclusive policies and funding. And finally, recognition, through Award Ceremonies like this one, also creates a record. It ensures that the stories of women’s achievements aren’t lost, but become part of institutional and cultural memory for future generations.

I have said that this year’s Ceremony is especially meaningful, because this year the IWFTT’s celebrates its tenth (10th) anniversary. It is also especially meaningful because of all of the important practical and social purposes this Award Ceremony serves – only some of which I have just outlined. And it is also especially meaningful because this Ceremony is happening less than a week after the country celebrated nine (9) outstanding women at our recently concluded Republic Day National Awards.  This evening’s event is therefore a very special occasion, happening at a very special time in our country’s history and in our nation’s development.

Against the backdrop of this wonderful confluence of events, we honour this evening three (3) remarkable women, whose work is not only a testament to the extraordinary calibre of women that they are, but is also an indication of the impressive heights which we can achieve as a nation. We honour:

  • Dr. Catherine Minto-Bain – who, through her pioneering work in fertility medicine has brought hope and more importantly joy to thousands of families;
  • Ms. Suzan Lakhan-Baptiste – who has devoted her life to the preservation of turtles in Trinidad and Tobago; and
  • Ms. Maya Kirti Nanan – who has demonstrated vision and courage from an early age, championing inclusivity for persons with autism and mobilising thousands of young people to join her cause.

Although these women come from vastly different fields and experiences, they have something in common – they have all been incredibly tenacious.

Dr. Minto-Bain confronted the heartbreak of infertility being experienced by her patients and infused great hope into situations of great despair. She has also spoken candidly about the balancing act of returning to demanding professional life after childbirth – a reality faced by countless women, yet seldom acknowledged. She reminds us, in her own words, that “each of us has an opportunity to use our skills, not only to help those around us, those we know—but to provide for women you don’t know.”

Ms. Lakhan-Baptiste was confronted with the carnage of poached turtles strewn across the beaches of Matura. She did not, as many did at that time, turn a blind eye, but instead began as a volunteer, venturing out at night to deter poachers, undaunted by discomfort and danger, driven by an abiding sense of passion and responsibility to protect our natural heritage. Through perseverance, education and advocacy, she and her team transformed Matura into one of the most successful leatherback rookeries in the world. She has said of this award: “This award will show other women that their goals can be achieved with consistency and perseverance. And the only limitations we have as women are what we set for ourselves.”

And Maya Nanan, who began her advocacy as a young girl, witnessed the exclusion and lack of support for children with autism through the experiences of her brother. Like her counterparts on the international stage, in persons such as Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, Maya did not let her age, nor the dismissive remarks of others, stop her. She stepped forward with courage and determination, resolute in her mission to create a world where children just like her brother are seen, supported and included, saying in a recent interview, “I wanted children with autism to experience the things my brother wasn’t able to.” 

What strikes me most about these stories, is that all three (3) of these honourees refused to be paralysed by the enormity of the problems they faced. As I have said, they have all been incredibly tenacious. Where others saw challenges too large or too entrenched to tackle, they saw opportunity. Where others might have thrown up their hands in despair, they asked instead: “What can I do?”

Their work has benefitted not only themselves, but also their communities, and by extension, the entire nation. The babies delivered through Dr. Minto-Bain’s work are now poised to comprise the next generation. The turtles safeguarded by Ms. Lakhan-Baptiste are sustaining healthy marine ecosystems. The children included through Maya’s vision will live fuller, richer lives. As women, our three (3) honourees have set an example, not only for the women coming after them, but for all of humanity, by showing us the vastness of what is possible, and reminding us that limitations, whether real or imagined, can be challenged and overcome. Their stories teach us what is possible when citizens refuse to accept the status quo, and when, instead, they insist that problems can and must be solved.

Looking at what these three (3) honourees have accomplished, I am driven to wonder whether the famous author, Marianne Williamson, wasn’t right when she said “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us”. What is it that has allowed our three (3) honourees to escape this innate fear of our own capacity to create wonderful and powerful works in service of humanity? And why is it that so many of us remain trapped by the fear of how beautiful we might become, if only we dared try?

Just imagine the kind of society we would have if everyone approached our national challenges as Catherine, Suzan and Maya have approached theirs. Imagine if, instead of waiting for “somebody” to fix things, we each asked ourselves what contribution we could make. Imagine if we tackled issues like crime, inequality or environmental degradation with that same creativity, determination and courage. The mountains we would climb; the valleys we would cross; the future we could secure.

As we stand on the cusp of our fiftieth (50th) year as a Republic, it is right that we should honour tonight those who are the best examples of who we can become. It is fitting to be reminded, by all three (3) of this evening’s honourees, of the values that undergird a strong and resilient nation­­. These are the values that all three (3) of this evening’s honourees embody. These are the values which will sustain us as a people.  And so, as we honour these three inspirational women, let us also take a moment to reflect on what their example calls upon us to do. Let us take inspiration from their courage, persistence and service, and to ask ourselves how we, too, can contribute to building a stronger nation.

I congratulate our honourees for their remarkable achievements. I also congratulate the IWFTT for creating a platform for recognizing and honouring women’s accomplishments. Over the last decade, you have brought together women leaders from across sectors such as banking, business, energy, medicine, law, the arts, and beyond. You have forged a space to ventilate ideas, collaborate across sectors and nurture and advance women’s leadership. In so doing, you have been worthy ambassadors of your umbrella organisation, the International Women’s Forum, which for decades has championed the advancement of women worldwide. And tonight, through this Gala and Awards ceremony, you reaffirm your commitment to its mission to connect, catalyse change and celebrate success.

Once again, I extend my warmest congratulations to our honourees, and to the IWFTT on its tenth (10th) anniversary. May the next ten (10) years be even more productive and meaningful than the last.

Thank you.