Basseterre, Saint Kitts – October 9, 2026 – One day ahead of the global observance of International Day of the Girl Child, the Department of Gender Affairs of Saint Kitts celebrated the achievements of 23 outstanding primary school girls at its annual Girls in Excellence Award ceremony, held Thursday at the Earle Clarke Community Centre in Newtown.
The annual awards program recognizes young girls who have made notable positive impacts across three core spheres: their households, their schools, and their local communities. This year’s event drew a high-profile audience including Governor General Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd, Minister of State for Gender Affairs the Honourable Isalean Phillip, as well as family members and educators of the award recipients.
In her opening address to attendees, Minister Phillip framed the ceremony as a small but deeply meaningful gathering: it spotlights girls who consistently demonstrate excellence across a wide range of areas, from academic performance and creative thinking to community leadership and personal resilience.
Aligning with this year’s International Day of the Girl Child global theme “Investing in Girls’ Rights”, Phillip emphasized that sustained commitment to girls’ empowerment cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. She clarified that investment in girls extends far beyond financial support, noting that intentional investment of time, personal attention, mentorship, encouragement, and accessible resources is equally critical to lifting young women up.
“When girls receive consistent support and their fundamental rights are protected, they gain a far stronger foundation to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their families, communities, and the nation as a whole,” Phillip explained. “When we invest in girls today, we are investing in the women of tomorrow, and by extension, we invest in stronger, healthier families, communities, and the entire country.”
Following her remarks, Phillip encouraged all 23 honorees to continue upholding their standards of excellence, and led the group in a collective affirming pledge: the girls declared themselves “strong, blessed, beautiful, and capable of doing hard things.”
The full list of 2026 Girls of Excellence recipients includes: Denylah Matthew (Sandy Point Primary School), Amelia Christmas (Deane Glasford Primary School), Zalia Boodasingh (St. Kitts International Academy), Cassidy Henderson (Dieppe Bay Primary School), Trinity Esdaille-Robinson (George Moody Stuart School), Shakenya Henry (Bronte Welsh Primary School), K’ Lajuané Mathias (Tucker Clarke Primary School), Annalisa Dormoy (Tyrrell-Williams Primary School), Kevonique Frederick (Violet Petty Primary School), Kai’ Hannah Edwards (Newton Ground Primary School), Aleah Small (Joshua O. Williams Primary School), Liz-Nicole Raposo (Halliday-Smith Primary School), Orinique Battice (Cayon Primary School), Kaylee Warner (Beach Allen Primary School), Genesis Benjamin (St. Paul’s Primary School), Emma Jenkins-Whittaker (Ross Preparatory School), Jayvonic Phipps (Saddlers Primary School), Nakeria Francis (Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School), Vannecia Phillip (Dr. William Connor Primary School), Serenity Lawrence (Immaculate Conception Catholic School), Aryanna Henry (Epworth Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School), Gianna Jones (Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School), and Jevisha Christian (Edgar T. Morris Primary School).
The annual ceremony has become a staple tradition for the Department of Gender Affairs, tying local recognition of young girls’ achievements to the global mission of advancing girls’ rights and equal opportunity worldwide.