Book IWD Speaker: Cordia Chambers-Johnson

Women are in the room, but are they in control? A Caribbean gender specialist on turning participation into real power.

Cordia Chambers-Johnson is a Caribbean gender and development specialist who brings evidence from the field to the stage. She has worked with regional institutions across the Caribbean, most recently as Gender and Community Liaison Specialist on a six-country environmental and livelihoods project led by a regional intergovernmental organisation. There she led field consultations and a social and gender analysis across Eastern Caribbean Member States. She is the lead gender expert at the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, where she provides guidance to conservation trust funds and NGOs on developing gender responsive to gender transformative projects across 10 Caribbean countries.

She holds a master's degree in gender and development studies and a bachelor's in philosophy, so her talks combine sharp questions with practical tools. Through her YouTube channel, CORDE Connect, she also coaches professionals on career strategy and financial literacy.

Cordia's talks are interactive, grounded in real data, and built for action. Signature topics include:

"Participation Without Control". Why Counting Women Isn't Enough. Drawing on recent fieldwork, Cordia shows how women can be present in programmes and meetings yet still be absent from decisions, budgets and value chains. Audiences learn to look beyond headcounts to decision-making authority, representation and access, and to remove the barriers that keep inclusion on paper.

"Overcoming the Fear of Financial Prosperity". This talk tackles career stagnation, debt, upskilling barriers and fear of the unknown. Women leave with practical habits and skills for building income, confidence and long-term financial security.

"Money for Women-Led Change" Gender Finance and Green Enterprise. Cordia explores how finance, the circular economy and nature-based solutions can open real economic opportunity for women entrepreneurs.

"Gender Mainstreaming That Works". This is a practical session for organisations that want to move from policy commitments to everyday workplace practice.

Cordia is available for keynotes, panels, workshops and facilitated sessions, in person or virtually. She is based in Jamaica and available for regional and international events. Talks can be tailored to corporate, public sector, NGO, academic and community audiences.

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