The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda convened a historic all-female sitting on Sunday, March 9, as part of the Young Women in Leadership (YWiL) initiative, with participants debating a significant motion on cannabis policy reform.
According to Antigua Observer, the session saw young women step into legislative roles to engage directly with national policy issues. The centrepiece of the debate was a motion to establish a Joint Select Committee to conduct a formal inquiry into cannabis reform in Antigua and Barbuda.
The YWiL initiative is designed to provide young women with hands-on experience in the legislative process, placing them in the roles of parliamentarians to debate real and pressing national issues. Sunday's sitting marked a notable milestone, representing a fully female chamber engaged in substantive policy discussion.
The choice of cannabis reform as the central topic reflects the growing national conversation around the regulation and decriminalisation of cannabis, a subject that has gained increasing attention across the Caribbean region. The proposed Joint Select Committee, as debated during the session, would be tasked with examining the issue in depth before any legislative recommendations are made.
As reported by Antigua Observer, the session formed part of broader efforts to encourage civic participation and political engagement among young women in Antigua and Barbuda.
