Above: Ambassador Melanne Verveer and Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly (centre) (Photo: OP Haiti)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly met Monday with Melanne Verveer, the United States Goodwill Ambassador for global women’s issues, in Port-au-Prince.
The working session with Verveer, along with 20 other women, was held against the backdrop of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Verveer’s visit, which began Sunday, included meetings with associations and non-governmental organizations in the fields of women’s rights protection.
The meeting Martelly included talks about human trafficking, women’s empowerment and female entrepreneurship.
It included an event focused on women’s leadership hosted by the First Lady.
US Ambassador to Haiti Pamela White was on hand as well, along with several female Ministers.
Verveer is highlighting US support for Haitian law enforcement efforts to “address gender-based violence,” according to a State Department release.
Her trip is also including a visit to a USAID-funded women’s leadership programme.
There are currently seven women in Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe’s cabinet.