Lingovox Translation Studio recently invited Fátima Cornwall, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of World Languages, to co-interpret remotely for the sixth annual 2021 Bermuda Women Empowerment Summit. Cornwall and a colleague from Northern Portugal offered English into Portuguese simultaneous interpretation via Zoom.
Bermuda is home to many Portuguese immigrants, especially from the Azores Islands, where Cornwall was raised. Roslyn Famous, the owner of Lingovox, said, “Domestic violence doesn’t care what culture you are from or what language you speak. A person who speaks Portuguese is just as vulnerable to domestic violence as a person who speaks English. The same goes for co-parenting or women’s empowerment. These are issues that are relevant to all cultures and in all languages.”
Speakers were American Schmeka Bowrin, who discussed healthy co-parenting; NY-based Bermuda Lendrea Stays, who shared her journey of how she rebuilt her life after being the victim of domestic abuse; branding expert Nikki Fagan who offered women tools that can be used to build the type of life they desire; and Bermudian life coach Patrice Frith Hayward who presented a workshop on leaving old baggage behind.
This summit was the first major virtual event in Bermuda to be offered in three languages: Portuguese, Spanish and English.