MELENA SIMON-O’NEIL is set to create history by becoming the first Tobago-born woman to lead the Association of Female Executives of TT (AFETT).
“That I am the first Tobagonian woman in the organisation’s 20-year history to have this honour is quite significant to me,” Simon-O’Neil, 42, told WMN.
“I am a true Tobago country girl at heart and I see this as a significant step to ensuring the voice of Tobago women are included at the table and that Tobago-based members have equal access to and benefit from the training, support, personal development and professional networking opportunities AFETT so skilfully provides.”
Established in 2002, AFETT is a non-profit organisation which seeks to empower women to become leaders, mentors and change agents in their communities.
The organisation, led by a voluntary and multidisciplinary team of professional women, consistently develops and implements programmes to enrich the lives of its members.
AFETT’s work includes advocating for change in the business environment and representation for policy changes at the government level and via boards and civil-society forums on issues related to gender-based violence, sexual abuse in the workplace, human-rights violations involving girls and women and workplace inequality.
Through its Reach mentorship initiative, the organisation facilitates opportunities for young women entering or advancing in the world of work and girls 13-18 who need life skills training and career coaching as they prepare for transition from the classroom to the boardroom.
AFETT also creates a forum for the exchange of ideas and resources among professional women through projects such as its annual leadership series.
The organisation’s flagship projects include Suit Me Up, an annual charity/fundraising drive that provides executive suits and business wear to young female leaders at affordable prices and the Women of Influence Awards, held annually on International Women’s Day.
AFETT also gives out five national awards for corporate entities in TT which exemplify best practices and working conditions for female employees.
Simon-O’Neil said she considers it a privilege to follow in the footsteps of AFETT’s outstanding leaders, including founding president Lara Quentrall-Thomas, Cavelle Joseph-St Omer and Yolande Agard, all of whom continue to serve with distinction in their respective sectors.
According to AFETT’s constitution, Simon-O’Neil’s installation as president takes place automatically when the new board is elected and installed at the organisation’s AGM in November.
[caption id="attachment_970817" align="alignnone" width="775"] Melena Simon-O'Neil is the first Tobagonian to be elected president of the Association of Female Executives of TT. Photo courtesy Natalie Simone Miles -[/caption]
She was installed as president-elect after AFETT’s last AGM in 2020, when the current board’s two-year term in office began.
As president-elect, Simon-O’Neil sat on the board for the last two years under the mentorship of outgoing president Dix
