FORMER senator Lisa Bostwick-Dean has been elected as the new president of Women United, while new board members were also chosen following the non-profit’s Annual General Meeting held in the capital.

Mrs Bostwick-Dean replaces outgoing president Prodesta Moore, founder of the organisation, who will now serve as vice president.

In addition to her new role, Mrs Bostwick-Dean is the managing partner at Bostwick & Bostwick law firm and previously served in the Senate under the Hubert Minnis administration. She has also been a board member of Women United since 2023.

“I am excited to lead Women United, as we work to bring about legal and societal changes to protect, uplift, assist, and empower women and children in The Bahamas,” Mrs Bostwick-Dean said.

Her advocacy priorities over her two-year term include strengthening NGO partnerships, expanding advocacy efforts, introducing school programmes on boundaries, consent and self-respect, improving support systems for at-risk youth, and deepening cooperation with police, social services, and NGOs to better support survivors of abuse.

Women United, founded to advocate for women’s rights, safety and well-being, has been a vocal coalition in the fight to end gender-based violence and discrimination.

In a statement, the organisation said it looks forward to “a new chapter of growth, collaboration, and continued advocacy with Ms Bostwick at the helm.”

Mrs Bostwick-Dean added: “We also want to encourage other organisations and individuals to join and help, as we need all hands on deck to make changes and improve our lives as women in our country.”

The organisation will host its next meeting on Friday at 6.30pm at Starbucks, Harbour Bay. Updates are available on its Facebook page, womenunitedbs.