Since assuming her new role, Minister for Equity, Labour, Gender, Elderly Affairs, Social Justice and Consumer Welfare, Honourable Emma Hippolyte, has embarked on an extensive programme of engagement and familiarization across her wide-ranging portfolio, signalling a hands-on and deliberate approach to advancing the Ministry’s mandate.
From the start of the new year, Minister Hippolyte has been meeting with key units and agencies under her purview, holding in-depth discussions with staff and leadership to gain first-hand insight into operational realities, service delivery challenges, and opportunities for improvement. These engagements have included one-on-one meetings with the Labour and Gender Affairs divisions, as well as the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Equity and its core units, including Community Development, Human Services, the Welfare Unit, Administration, Accounts, and related support services.
“Based on the question and answer sessions I’ve had with the staff, I feel it is so important for the work that we have to do because in order for me to be the Minister that leads this Ministry, I need to listen to the staff, to hear their concerns, to hear and discern the path that they have walked and the areas that they think needs addressing. This dialogue and fact-finding also gives me a chance to understand the ministries that I am taking over and it is with that understanding that we can work together to guide and make decisions for the future,” Minister Hippolyte noted.
The Minister has also engaged with satellite institutions critical to the Ministry’s social protection framework, including the Boys Training Centre, Transit Home, BELfund, and Comfort Bay, recognizing their pivotal role in safeguarding vulnerable populations and supporting rehabilitation, care, and reintegration.
As part of this initial fact-finding phase, Minister Hippolyte has held intense dialogue with two Permanent Secretaries and met with several section heads, fostering open communication and reinforcing a culture of collaboration, accountability, and shared purpose across the Ministry.
“Today’s meeting gave us the opportunity to address alignment of portfolios and I am particularly enthusiastic about the discussions we had and to see how we work together collaboratively to achieve the mandates of our portfolios,” remarked Shelia Imbert , Permanent Secretary in the Department of Labour & Gender Affairs.
Echoing similar sentiments, Dr. Charmaine Hippolyte Emmanuel, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Equity & Social Justice noted, “Engaging with Minister Hippolyte and PS Imbert have been a situation where we consider how we are going to align the departments and different units within the Ministry and it has been very fruitful. We are able to create that kind of alignment and synergy but also from what I am seeing thus far, I am very pleased with Minister Hippolyte’s zeal and zest and PS Imbert’s enthusiasm, willingness and commitment to take this entire ministry forward. We acknowledge that it’s a huge ministry with lots of responsibilities but we all look forward to engaging and contributing positively.”
Despite the breadth and complexity of the portfolio, Minister Hippolyte has expressed strong optimism and enthusiasm about the way forward. She described the Ministry as rich in institutional knowledge and committed personnel, noting that this foundation provides a solid platform for meaningful reform and impact.
Arising from these preliminary engagements, Minister Hippolyte has already identified short, medium, and long-term measures aimed at strengthening service delivery, improving coordination across units, and enhancing policy implementation in the areas of equity, labour relations, gender affairs, elderly care, social justice, and consumer welfare.
