YWCA: Let’s help working mothers

A call has been made for the provision of day nursery facilities to meet the needs of women who work irregular hours.President of the YWCA, Marilyn Rice-Bowen, said too many children in Barbados were left “without assistance” and in “inadequate conditions” while their mothers worked. She felt day nurseries should mirror the working hours of these women.The YWCA president was addressing guests at a cocktail reception at George Washington House on Saturday night in honour of the Y’s 60th anniversary.“This evening as we celebrate our 60th anniversary, I appeal on behalf of the YWCA for some assistance for these women. The YWCA believes that this should be a front-burner issue,” she said.Rice-Bowen also announced a free sewing project, which she said would provide materials and instruction for a sewing class for 20 women.“We are asking women to seize the opportunity and seek to alleviate some economic hardships experienced right now with their families, as we seek to put them on a path of economic empowerment.”Present at the reception were Marie-Claude Julsaint and Carolyn Flowers, officials of the World YWCA, who are here as members of an assessment team looking the island over following its bid to host the YWCA World Council in 2015.Flowers told the Daily Nation: “My colleague and I are here to look at the amenities, to talk to the officials to make sure it is a welcoming environment,  and to make sure that YWCA members coming from 105 countries do not have problems getting into the country.”Barbados is competing against Thailand to host the meeting, which Flowers said could attract as many as 2000 people. (GC)