Road rehabilitation projects have been awarded to 365 women to date as part of the government’s nationwide road development programme, according to information from the Ministry of Public Works, a Department of Public Information (DPI) press release has said.
The DPI statement outlined that in Region Four alone, $11.5 billion were allocated for road improvements, with women making up 216 of the 673 small contractors. Region Five saw 29 women awarded contracts as part of the $2.7 billion investment to rehabilitate 191 roads. In Region Six, another 120 women joined the sector, the release said.
Expressing optimism about the initiative, Shevon Parks told the DPI that she believes it will have a meaningful impact on the lives of women small contractors. “It is an excellent initiative that the government is doing targeting small contractors, especially women because often small contractors are deemed inexperienced. Now that we are gaining experience, it will elevate us,” Parks was quoted as saying.