PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE Stuart Young pledged to protect women from abuse, addressing a function on March 7 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, to mark International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8.

On top of such policies and actions to curb domestic violence, he also planned to support women more generally in their lives.

Young also used the occasion to pay tribute to his mother who was present, while saying he would not engage in shallow conversations about where he came from, but would instead just smile.