The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

Each year the United Nations commemorates November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women. Historically, women have been disadvantaged and in many societies women are treated as second class citizens. Too many Jamaican males see women's bodies as an entitlement for them to do as they wish. Disturbingly, too many women agree with this narrative. We need to critically examine our agents of socialization and find ways for men to see women as equals. The widespread availability of pornography especially among our boys have led to a distorted image of women. This has resulted in more women being at risk for abuse. The homophobic nature of the Jamaican society also contributes to some men becoming violent toward women to hide their sexual orientation and prove their masculinity to others.  Violence against women is wrong.     ·          Violence against women is a...

Today, November 19, the global community will commemorate International Men’s Day. However, in many societies the issues affecting boys and men are not being addressed in a meaningful manner. This is usually so because males are viewed as the stronger sex and are expected to be tough and as such work through their problems in the private sphere. According to Jerome Teelucksingh, who conceptualized the day in 1999, International Men’s Day is about highlighting discrimination against men and boys, promoting gender equality and celebrating the contributions of men and boys to community and family. The theme for this year’s IMD is “working to expand reproductive options for men”. It is expected that this year’s theme will encourage discussion on ways to enhance cooperation in addressing reproductive issues that affect men such as, safe sexual practices, family planning and sexual health. According to the manual on Adolescent Reproductive Health Issues (August 2004) the mean age ...