Despite a last-minute cancellation from one of its most high profile speakers, the Women in Public Life conference opened yesterday at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess with a series of well-attended and energetic workshops.

While there was some disappointment at the news that US activist Jesse Jackson would not be attending the three-day event - delegates were told only that Mr. Jackson cancelled on Thursday evening - discussions were so healthy that moderators often had to cut-off sessions due to time constraints.

Opening the workshops yesterday, Minister for Tourism, Telecommunications and E-Commerce and conference chair Renee Webb said she expected they would be both "enjoyable and challenging".

"While rightly celebrating the role women have played to shape both history and society in Bermuda and beyond, this conference is primarily about the barriers for women that still exist in society and the areas in which the talents of women are not being used to their full," Ms Webb said.

"This conference will, I hope, both identify the steps that remain to be taken, to allow women to play a fuller role in public life and also come up with constructive ideas on how to take those steps forward."

Bermuda's record of women in politics is better than most of the world's countries, delegates heard over the course of the day.

In addition to the more than 40 percent of Bermuda's Cabinet positions which are filled by women - compared to just seven percent worldwide - the Island is one of only eleven countries with a women in its highest political office.

Premier Jennifer Smith noted at the opening of the conference, however, "the reality is that for many women basic needs take priority over community, or even political service".

"Without active participation of women and incorporation of women's perspective in all levels of decision making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved," Premier Smith said.

"The equal participation of women and men in decision making will strengthen democracy, promote its proper functioning and provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society."

Roughly 200 delegates participated in eleven workshops throughout the full day session yesterday.

Conference organisers selected eight topics for discussion ranging from health to women in politics to how women can work in partnership with men.

A recurring theme throughout many of the workshops, however, was the difficulty women face in finding a working balance between careers and home life.

A panel which included Bermuda Monetary Authority chair Cheryl-Ann Lister, former CNN anchor Norma Quarles and political analyst Walton Brown, were charged with handling the topic specifically but discussion veered back to the issue in rooms handling other themes as well.

Panellists seemed to agree, however, that creativity is often key to balancing all the important roles in a woman's life.

Creative planning was one of five 'p's Mrs. Lister said were key to meeting the challenge. The others being participating, partnering, pondering and practising.

The need to bring men into full participation in family life was also highlighted.

Mr. Brown noted that in many families, men get an easier ride than women from an early age.

Mothers must also educate their boys to be responsible, many delegates noted, rather than coddling them and adopting a "boys will be boys" attitude.

"Women have to stop educating boys to be chauvinists," noted Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans, who was speaking on the Women and Men in Partnership panel.

"I think women are now leading the way in politics in Bermuda."

The conference continues today with workshops running from 9 a.m. through till early evening.

Topics are being rotated in order to allow delegates to attend as many workshops on different issues as possible.

The conference will close with a keynote address from Cherie Booth-Blair tomorrow.