The John E. St. Luce Conference Centre in Antigua and Barbuda became a hub of female empowerment on March 8th as it hosted the 4th Annual VIP Women’s Conference. Organized by renowned author and consultant Koren Norton, the brunch-themed gathering attracted over 150 women from diverse backgrounds for a day dedicated to personal growth and collective support.
The event commenced with a distinctive performance piece orchestrated by Dr. Monica Osborne-Stevens, featuring three women symbolically planting and nurturing seeds—a powerful metaphor for personal development that established the conference’s thematic foundation.
Highlighting the program were three impactful speakers who shared profound personal journeys. Tasheka Lavann, Antigua and Barbuda’s Jubilee Queen of Carnival, delivered an emotionally charged address detailing her path through healing and tenacity. Her central message emphasized rejecting external limitations and maintaining self-worth amid adversity.
Senator Jamilla Kirwan, a cancer survivor and mother of two, explored the concept of ‘Connections’ with remarkable vulnerability. She articulated the critical importance of building supportive networks both professionally and personally, crediting her ‘village’ of women for providing essential support during her cancer treatment and recovery.
Jamaican content creator Juliet Bodley (known professionally as Julie Mango) concluded the speaking program with a raw account of her struggles with self-confidence. Her engineering background contrasting with her creative persona, Bodley recounted transformative personal battles that eventually led to her discovering purpose through global content creation and TEDx presentations.
The conference featured artistic performances by Zahra Airall, Karen Brooks, and Kelly Richardson, whose contributions enhanced the day’s inspirational atmosphere. Norton and her organizational team demonstrated continued commitment to creating spaces for women to network, collaborate, and rejuvenate, with plans already underway for the fifth conference in 2027.