Parish Festival Queen Uses Platform to Help Women Fight Cancers – Jamaica Information Service

Determined to ensure that more Jamaican women are equipped to fight breast and cervical cancers, newly crowned Miss St. Catherine Festival Queen 2026, Allison Williams, is using her platform to promote early detection, financial preparedness and greater access to support services.

Miss Williams, who was crowned on June 21 at Eltham High School in Spanish Town, after emerging victorious from a field of nine contestants, says her initiative, ‘She Survives’, seeks to tackle the cancers affecting women across the island.

“My project seeks to create not only awareness of breast and cervical cancers, but also arm women with tools to be financially prepared for these eventualities. Because, oftentimes, families are left destitute; families are left with loss of income due to such a devastating diagnosis,” she tells JIS News.

The newly crowned queen, who will represent St. Catherine at the National Festival Queen Competition on August 1, says many Jamaicans, particularly women in rural communities, are not adequately informed about the importance of early detection or the resources available to help them navigate the challenges associated with cancer.

“Women are dying every single day from breast cancer and cervical cancer, a silent epidemic that’s taking the lives of women,” she says.

Through her project, Miss Williams plans to host several health fairs across St. Catherine, to bring information and screening opportunities closer to residents in underserved communities. She also intends to connect women with organisations such as the Jamaica Cancer Society and the National Health Fund (NHF), among other agencies offering support and resources.

“When we prepare women and put them in positions where they can adequately benefit from resources, then they are better able to prosper and contribute significantly to the economy,” she notes.

Her commitment to the cause stems from personal tragedy. Miss Williams reveals that her mother died from metastatic breast cancer in November 2023, making the journey to the parish crown an emotional one.

“This journey has been bittersweet for me because the other ones, ‘I had my mom with me’, but my mom passed in November 2023 from breast cancer. I know she would have loved to have been able to celebrate this momentous occasion with me, and so I hope to honour her in all that I do and just keep her memory alive,” she shares.

Miss Williams says her heart goes out to families affected by breast and cervical cancers and hopes her advocacy will help save lives.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Jamaican women and is the leading cancer-related cause of death among females. There were 1,208 new cases recorded in Jamaica in 2020. The Ministry of Health and Wellness recommends regular screening, beginning at age 40, in addition to self-breast examinations and clinical breast examinations.

The NHF provides mammogram subsidies for women between the ages of 40 and 74 using only their Tax Registration Number (TRN), while the Ministry continues to strengthen local diagnostic capabilities with advanced testing technologies.

For Miss Williams, the Festival Queen Competition has been more than a quest for a crown. “The journey has been such a life-changing one because it has forced me to grow. You can’t be the same person entering the competition and on coronation night, completely different, because it’s a competition that moves you into a better person,” she says.

No stranger to pageantry, Miss Williams entered the competition with two titles already to her name. This year marked her fourth pageant experience. She describes the moment her name was announced as the winner as overwhelming and rewarding.

“I was extremely elated, a bit overwhelmed and just extremely grateful that all the hard work that I had put in over the past couple of months had finally paid off. It was a tremendous feeling,” she recalls.

The competition journey began in April and involved nearly three months of rigorous preparation. Miss Williams also won over the audience with her cultural performance entitled, ‘This Is How You Juggle in Jamaica’. The presentation depicted a professional woman balancing work and community life before joining a lively dance and sound-system session, highlighting the humour, creativity and resilience embedded in Jamaican culture.

“It was spectacular. The crowd’s attention was riveted, and I couldn’t pray for a better reception,” she says.

The reigning queen praises the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) for providing a platform that enables young women to showcase their talents and commitment to nation-building.

“We are more than just beauty. We are about purpose, we are about passion and we are about service,” she declares.

Miss Williams also lauds the calibre of contestants in this year’s competition, noting that they represent a wide cross-section of professions, including law enforcement, finance, marketing, education, and accounting. “All of them are queens in their own right,” she says.

Meanwhile, Imauny Huie was named first runner-up and captured the sectional awards for Most Culturally Aware and Most Active in the Community, while Terry-Ann Wilson secured second runner-up honours.

As preparations intensify for the national competition on August 1, Miss Williams says there will be little time for rest. “The hard work really begins now. It’s about fine-tuning everything and continuing to grow and be the best version of myself,” she says.

Supported by her trainers, family, church family and well-wishers, Miss Williams now heads to the national stage carrying not only the hopes of St. Catherine but also a deeply personal mission to ensure that more Jamaican women have the knowledge, resources and support needed to survive and thrive.