I don't subscribe to that school of thought that leadership can be altogether defined by gender.

My advice and wish to every woman in my country and in the world is very simple: Do not be afraid to be yourself, to have your dream, your vision, and to go for it. We can achieve a lot if we are sincerely committed to our goals and work hard to realize them.

There are many examples of female leaders who are not afraid to take responsibility and openly face the challenges in the worst situations.

I want to use my position of influence to change the laws of the land to the benefit of the women of Trinidad and Tobago, divide the economic pie more evenly and appoint more women to positions within the government.

It was my mother, despite the limitations placed on women of her time by society, who insisted I be allowed to go abroad to study, in sturdy defiance of the male elders of the family, who protested and decided that I should be married off instead.

If you need to pursue your interests, do not expect anyone else to do it for you.

There is an English saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Women often become these tough ones.