Aligned with the priority theme of the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65), the theme for the United Nations (UN) Observance of International Women’s Day 2021 is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, on the way to the Generation Equality Forum.”
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) is an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the UN. In March of 2011, the UN launched UN WOMEN, an organization within the UN which focuses on the progress of the world’s women, in the pursuit of justice.
FIDA was organized in Mexico City in 1944, to promote the principles and aims of the UN in their legal and social aspects. With members in over 73 countries around the globe, FIDA works to establish friendly international relations on a basis of mutual respect and equality and to promote the welfare of women and children.
On this International Women’s Day 2021, FIDA Grand Bahama Chapter joins with the UN in celebrating the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. We take this opportunity to spotlight a woman in leadership who epitomizes the goals and objectives of FIDA and UN WOMEN, the Honorable Senior Justice Estelle G. Gray Evans.
Justice Evans is a native of Forbes Hill Exuma; a product of Prince William Baptist High School in Nassau, New Providence; Shaw Business College in Toronto, Canada; and, the College (now University) of The Bahamas. She was admitted to practice as a Counsel and Attorney-at-Law in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas on the 16th of December, 1988 after articling in the law firm of Callenders & Co., the firm with which she also served as Secretary, Bookkeeper, Office Manager (September, 1974 to December, 1988), and Associate Attorney from December, 1988 to December, 1994.
Justice Evans joined the Public Service and served as the first Acting Assistant Registrar, then Acting Deputy Registrar, of the newly opened Supreme Court in the Northern Region, during the period March 7, 1994 to June 30, 1994. She then returned to private practice. In January, 1995 Justice Evans returned to the Public Service in the dual role of Acting Stipendiary and Circuit Magistrate and Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, Northern Region.
She served in the former position for one year and in the latter until April, 1999 when she relocated to New Providence to take up the position of Project Coordinator for the computerization of the Courts, a post she held until February 28, 2004. On March 1, 2004, Justice Evans was appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court, the first female to hold that substantive post, and she served in that position until August 31, 2007 when she was appointed, on September 1, 2007 to act as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
She was later confirmed in her appointment on November 1, 2008. She was appointed a Senior Justice on January 1, 2019. Justice Evans also acted as Chief Justice of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas on three occasions in December 2018, April 2019 and February 2020, due to the absence on leave of the substantive holders of that post. Justice Evans is the daughter of Shirley Weech. She is married to former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Shannondor H. Evans and together they have five children, 10 grandchildren, one great-grand child, in addition to the scores of others who call them “mom” and “dad.” Justice Evans is a Christian and currently worships at Beth-El Ministries, which is pastored by her son, Rev’d Adrian Bethel. Her community activities include the establishment and operation of Grace House, a half-way house for pregnant teens and their babies, in Freeport, Grand Bahama, during the period August 1998 through 2007. During that time 48 young woman and several of their babies were assisted with shelter – some short-term and others as long as 18 months.
She still maintains contact with some of the young women and their children whom she considers as her “grands.” She continues to work with some of the young women and their children, providing such assistance as she can, including a full four-year scholarship to one of her “grands” and partial scholarships to two others. Through her church, Beth-El Ministries, she coordinates the bi-monthly rummage and give-away of clothing and household items to persons in need in Grand Bahama. Her Professional Membership/Fellowship/Affiliations (Current and former) include:
• Judicial and Legal Service Commission (Member)
• Bahamas Judicial Education Institute (BJEI) Board of Directors
• International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
• Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI)
• International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ)
• Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO)
• Caribbean Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA)
• Caribbean Association of Female Judges (CAWJ
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• Organization of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Association (OCCBA)
• University of Windsor (Alternative Dispute Resolution Program)
• Founding member and Secretary of Zonta Club of Freeport
• Former President of Zonta Club of Freeport
• Former Coordinator of Grand Bahama Junior Bowling League • 1982 Bahamas Bowling Association Champion
• Sunday School Teacher
• Youth Ministry Coordinator
• Small Group Facilitator
• Former member of the Grand Bahama Crisis Centre Committee
Justice Evans is an avid reader and loves to travel and take long walks. FIDA GB Chapter was established in 1993 with Justice Evans as one of its founding members.
On this International Women’s Day 2021, FIDA Grand Bahama Chapter proudly salutes as its Woman in Leadership, a woman who continues to make a positive impact on the lives of women and children, particularly girl children, in her community, the Honorable Senior Justice Estelle G. Gray Evans. (Thefreeportnews)
