Aren’t We Tired Hearing About Women’s Rights?
Something about International Women’s Day and people not thinking it’s a big deal...
There is much talk about the USA now having a Woman as the second most powerful figure in the country, but this is the norm in the Caribbean. Since the independence days women have had a place in our leadership and decision making, acting as champions and heroes of women’s and children’s rights, reproductive justice and gender equality. As it stands, right now across the region, 5 women are heads of state, 3 women are serving as Prime Ministers, and 4 as leaders of the opposition. It has been a journey to realize rights for women, and an even longer one for women of colour- even in the caribbean. But the journey is not done.
Women's rights is not concerned with superiority of women but with the equality of sexes. In this lens, we asked our PDers across the region to join in the IWD #ChooseToChallenge initiative by sharing what gender equality means to them as women, and what they choose to challenge in order to realise this:
1. Every individual in society yearns for equal status, opportunities and rights. I choose to challenge gender biases and fight for equality for women by raising my voice to set standards for what is acceptable for women. When one woman stands up for herself or for others, when she fights for equality, when she challenges gender biases, when she speaks out against injustice, we ALL win.
Aliyah Sampson- Member, Project Discovery Barbados
Up until the middle of the twentieth century, women across Commonwealth Caribbean countries did not have the right to vote and were largely excluded from national representative politics. It was a long stroll towards the representation in the political sphere of women by women in the Caribbean that we see and experience today.[1] Universal adult suffrage was granted beginning in the mid-1940’s and Caribbean women wasted no time in presenting themselves into representation. The first election period following the introduction of adult universal suffrage saw at least one women elected to the House of Representative in Jamaica (Iris Collins,1944), Barbados (Edna “Ermie” Bourne, 1951), and Grenada (Mary Louise “Eva” Sylvester, 1952); and the first election of the House of Representatives in Trinidad and Tobago (Isabel Ursula Teshea, 1961). 80 years later, women representation has come in waves, sometimes preceding feminist movements of bigger regions. The 70’s saw a fresh generation of women in elected positions, with those in power pushing for reproductive and women’s rights in the place where it mattered most: the senate. The 2010’s was the start of a new generation of representation in Parliament and the legislature, yet in 2021, across the region, women still hold less than 30% of the political power.
2. [Gender equality to me] basically [means] just respecting each other, having legal rights, and protection against domestic violence and sexual violence. Because even though we women experience it more, there are men, throughout the world who experience these types of violences. I challenge you that whenever you see these things happening, to say something and speak up about it because in no case is this right. We are not superior to men and men are not superior to us. So we should always stand for gender equality and be kind to one another, because we're all human.
Martha Dookhan- Treasurer, Project Discovery St. Kitts & Nevis
This is not where the inequalities end. We love women in our music. Or so it seems. Sexual and domestic violence in the region perpetuated by negative ideals, stereotypes and norms are extremely prevalent and sometimes not so subtly celebrated in our media. The over sexualization of women and girls leads to both internal and external pressures to fit a singular 2-dimensional narrative of what a desirable woman is.
3. I stand with the women that have been going through domestic violence. No one, whether male or female, should be allowed to invade your personal space and make you feel less than your worth. We are all worth it and we all have purpose in life. As today is International Women’s Day, I want you to know that everyday is women's day and every day we are important. Women are extraordinary human beings– from the bringing forth of life, to our natural instinct to nurture and care for individuals other than ourselves. Our drive to better ourselves and our families, our natural ability to have friendly competitions to show that we are indeed capable of doing anything men can do. Women are simply extraordinary!
Kyra Mills- Treasurer, Project Discovery Jamaica
Aren’t we tired of hearing about women’s rights while seeing the bare minimum done to achieve true gender equality in the Caribbean? Aren’t we tired of hearing that men love strong women, yet when we say “wife material” we mean a domestic, pusillanimous woman, not the one who speaks her mind and stands for what she believes in; that one is a [CENSORED]? Aren’t we tired of hearing men in the highest positions of power in our region make decisions about us and for us...without us?
4. Gender equality to me means a world where women are given the respect and access to opportunities that are often given to men “simply because”. We live in a world where women do just as much as men do, especially in the working world, and oftentimes more. Women have developed their skills and stepped out of their comfort zones to excel in areas mostly dominated by men. There are women Engineers, Police Officers, Judges, Miners, Welders and even CEO’s! Most often these women are not treated the same or even paid the same as their male colleagues. Have you ever heard of the glass ceiling? Equality also encapsulates men having the understanding that nothing is a woman’s job…unless it is childbirth!! It’s totally ok to take care of the kids, tend to the home and even venture into what is termed Pink Collar careers.
Women also deserve the respect of being able to walk the street and not be cat-called or disrespected because of [their] choice of clothes. Have you ever had a parent tell you “see but don’t touch”? It should be practiced. While things would have gotten significantly better over the years, we still have a long way to go. Imagine living in a time where women weren’t allowed to vote or [were] watched strangely if they wore pants…. think about it. I choose to challenge the bias of gender equality by speaking out on unfair and unjust actions against women. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let's all choose to challenge.
Felicia John - Chairwoman, Project Discovery Trinidad & Tobago
Written by Tymara King
[1] Women In Political Leadership in the Caribbean
“https://parlamericas.org/uploads/documents/WomensPoliticalLeadershipUNWomen.pdf”