Remarks by
Erin Boyer
U.S. Permanent Mission to the OAS
Introduction of Ambassador Tagliatela
August 4, 2022
Good afternoon, distinguished delegates, members of the OAS Secretariat, excellencies and government representatives, and guests. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
On behalf of the United States Department of State and the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States, it is a great honor to participate in the launch of the Women’s Economic Empowerment program in the Caribbean. It is certainly cause for celebration.
We designed this program to provide women the opportunity to increase their participation in the formal economy, and build valuable and relevant skills in the digital world we now live in. When women participate more fully in our economies, research proves they invest in their families and communities. This investment spurs economic growth and contributes to more stable and sustainable societies.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment program also represents yet another opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the United States, the OAS, and the Eastern Caribbean. Our long history of shared values and commitment to regional cooperation continues to yield positive results and pave the way for closer collaboration.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment program will provide an estimated 3000 women from the Eastern Caribbean an opportunity to reap the benefits of increased access to digital technology through capacity-building, mentoring, and networking with stakeholders from the highest levels of business innovation. I truly cannot wait to see the amazing things these women will achieve.
I want to especially thank Kim Osborne, OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, for her vision and perseverance in bringing this program to fruition. I also want to thank Meta for their generous contribution, and for their commitment to increasing access to digital technology in the region. This program is a testament to the value of public-private partnerships. Simply put: when governments join forces with the private sector, we can deliver more for our people.
Without further ado, it is my great honor to introduce our Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Linda Taglialatela. Ambassador Taglialatela is a career diplomat with decades of government service dedicated to improving the management of our greatest resource: our people. Her passion for empowering our public servants and for improving the efficiency of our operations renders her the perfect representative of this program – itself dedicated to empowering women and innovating our economies towards a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
Thank you for your kind attention. We will now hear from our Ambassador.
