By Sasha Fair, For The Guardian

The Bahamas as a nation is matriarchal with one of its hallmarks being strong, powerful women. Regardless of their role in life, be it mother, grandmother, wife, or career woman, Bahamian women are courageous and fight for what they believe in. To this end, a number of women and women's organizations have banded together to present The Bahamas' National Women's Week 2006 with the theme 'Women Empowering Women'. There is a wide range of topics being addressed, from 'Women's role in politics' to 'Starting your own business' to 'Issues of domestic violence'. National Women's Week 2006 will commence on Sunday, November 26th and conclude on December 3rd, with women from diverse professions donating their time and expertise.

One of the women's organizations participating is a non-profit, non-governmental organization called the Women's Holistic Empowerment & Development Organization (WHEDO). This innovative organization's mission is "to guard, defend and empower women; to create an awareness of women's issues through programs and dialogue; and to facilitate change through practical action." WHEDO has identified three main areas of focus: 1) Engaging in relevant and pertinent dialogue; 2) Development of programs; and 3) the WHEDO network. Regarding program development, WHEDO recognizes "the value of discussion, however we are also aware that talk is futile without action," says founder Jade Major.

WHEDO has developed two main programs: 'WomenTalk' and 'Beautiful Living'. "'Women Talk' is an opportunity for women to come together and discuss important issues concerning our women today and takes place once a quarter in a comfortable, safe environment, enabling free-flowing thought and deliberation," indicates Ms. Major. WomenTalk sessions will be made available to the public on a weekly basis on GEMS 105.9 FM. 'Beautiful Living' is a program designed specifically for WHEDO by Ms. Major who is an International Certified Life Coach. "The focus here is to increase a woman's sense of personal value," explains Ms. Major, "This program is a 3-day session that takes each woman through a journey of transformation, from self-discovery to creating a 'Life Map' – a tool that significantly assists in the attainment of her goals and dreams."

Ms. Major recently started making her journey through the world of international and business coaching and her goal is to be the first MCC in The Bahamas. Her life's vision is, "to be a beacon of light to all persons I touch by accepting, appreciating and encouraging them to be who they are." In addition to establishing WHEDO, Jade Major has also developed another program as a result of her experiences coaching women and the tendency she has recognized towards low self-esteem.

This program, called 'Girls Enjoying Life' (GEL), starts at The Meridian School in 2007, and will focus on "encouraging young girls to know who they are and to celebrate their uniqueness." In 2005 Jade started a group called 'The Purpose Group'. This group "has a deeply spiritual focus....each person is challenged to define his/her own life. Jade Major expresses a deeply-held belief that, "living life fully is not about material wealth but knowing the power you have to create sustainable change."

WHEDO will be participating in National Women's Week 2006 on Saturday, December 2nd with the launch of 'WomenTalk', the topic of discussion: 'What it Means to be a Beautiful Woman'. This event will take place at the New Providence Community Center on Blake Road at 7.00 pm. For more information on WHEDO and their programs, please e-mail HYPERLINK "mailto:whedowhecan@gmail.com" whedowhecan@gmail.com or visit their website at HYPERLINK "http://www.whedo.org" www.whedo.org.