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

“I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.”- Desmond Tutu. It is with a great sense of sadness and grief that the international community has reacted to the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born October 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, a town in South Africa's Transvaal province. His father was a teacher and his mother was a domestic worker. While Desmond Tutu had not been in the best of health for some time; his death was still unexpected even at the youthful age of 90. For many of us, Tutu’s rise to prominence came during those challenging years of apartheid in South Africa. He was the voice of reason and an anchor which provided leadership to black South Africans who were subjected to a system of unequal treatment based on the colour of their skin. Apartheid was the institutionalized discriminatory political and economic system of racial ...

Jamaica has a rich and engaging history. Those of us who grew up in the Caribbean are well aware of Grand Market. We are also knowledgeable of what a market is; it’s the coming together of sellers and buyers who exchange goods for some monetary payment. Grand market is the precursor to Christmas Day. Grand Market day celebrations begin on Christmas Eve and lasts until the wee hours of Christmas morning. All of us as children anticipated the Grand Market experience. Our dad, Fitzroy never disappointed us. Dad would leave work early on Christmas Eve. The entire family consisting of our mother, Vinette would then journey to Grand Market in Half Way Tree. As children we were excited when Christmas Eve came along. While we did not have a Christmas tree growing up; we had pepper lights which were exhibited in the living room window. These lights would constantly blink and brought much comfort and joy to the entire family and passersby alike. Another activity we engaged in as children was ge...

“Merely by describing yourself as black you have started on a road towards emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces that seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being.”- Steve Biko. Barbados has been in the news recently. The Caribbean island became a republic after removing the Queen of England as its head of state. Barbados gained her Independence from Britain 55 years ago. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley is clearly a woman on a mission. Whenever Mia Mottley speaks she grabs your attention. Do you recall her address at the United Nations? Mia Mottley delighted the many fans of pop star Rihanna when she named her the 11th National Hero. Grammy award winner and native of Barbados Rihanna was honoured during its presidential inauguration, which served to mark the country becoming a republic. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the crowd, "On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefo...

“I urge all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, increase accessibility, and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.”- António Guterres. One- eighth of the world's population lives with a disability. The inclusion of persons with disabilities is vital for the sustainable development of the planet. International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a United Nations (UN) day that is celebrated every year on 3 December. The 2021 theme is ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era.’ This year, the international community is celebrating the challenges, barriers and opportunities for people who live with disabilities, in the context of a global pandemic. Since March 2020, every person on earth has been impacted by drastic political, social and economic changes as a result of domestic and international responses to COVID-19....

“For every woman and girl violently attacked, we reduce our humanity. For every woman forced into unprotected sex because men demand this, we destroy dignity and pride. Every woman who has to sell her life for sex we condemn to a lifetime in prison. For every moment we remain silent, we conspire against our women. For every woman infected by HIV, we destroy a generation.”- Nelson Mandela. Every year, on 1 December, the international community commemorates World AIDS Day. The day is set aside to showcase unity and demonstrate support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. The global community is currently in its fourth decade of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is safe to say that we all know of at least one individual who is living with HIV or who have died from AIDS. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, which help the body respond to in...

The identification of a new COVID-19 variant has reminded the world that the pandemic is not yet over. We have been told repeatedly that the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for some time. We are all aware of the Delta Variant and the hundreds of persons who have died from that strain of the coronavirus. In recent times we have seen a disturbing trend of an uptick in COVID-19 cases all across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Austria has returned to a full national lockdown as protests against new restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections spread across Europe. From midnight, Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed. New restrictions have sparked protests throughout Europe. Infection rates have risen sharply on the continent, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). This trend has been especially worrying given that the COVID-19 vaccination rate for Western Europe and North America is relativ...

“If we are to fight discrimination and injustice against women we must start from the home for if a woman cannot be safe in her own house then she cannot be expected to feel safe anywhere.”- Aysha Taryam. We have had some horrific violent acts against women globally. The Jamaican society was shocked in May of this year when a woman was doused with gasoline and set ablaze by her spouse in Great River, Hanover. The victim was airlifted to the United States of America; unfortunately she died a few days later. The international community was grief-stricken in 2012 when Malala Yousafzai was shot in her head by a Taliban on 9 October 2012. Malala survived the ordeal and later won the Nobel Prize for her work on girls' education in 2014. In most societies women are not viewed in equal terms as men. It is safe to say women are seen as second class citizens; this is problematic and often lends itself to abuse of our women. The continued abuse of women is a scourge on humanity. On November ...

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Discussions surrounding men and manhood are usually rooted in a negative space. The issues men experience are usually not given much attention and space. Perhaps this is of our own doing since masculinity and maleness are clothed in a rough and tough exterior. As a society we should not disregard the concerns impacting and affecting men. We ought to take every opportunity to improve the relationship between both sexes, instead of perpetuating a climate of gender inequality. Men’s issues are real and must be deliberated in a safe space. These issues include masculinity, manhood, men’s’ health, including mental health, paternity leave, and boys’ under-performance in the education system, gender-based violence, crime and violence, the feminization of the education system and improving the relations between g...

My parents are part of the estimated 422 million adults living with diabetes. Additionally, my dad, Fitzroy has Stage 4 kidney disease; dad also has Type 1 diabetes and takes insulin. On the other hand, my mom has Type 2 diabetes and takes oral medication. The global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980, rising from 4.7% to 8.5% in the adult population. This reflects an increase in associated risk factors such as being overweight or obese. Over the past decade, diabetes prevalence has risen faster in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Diabetes occurs when our pancreas is unable to make sufficient insulin. The hormone insulin (which is made in the pancreas) is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. In people with diabetes, either the pancreas doesn't make insulin or the body cannot use insulin properly. Without insulin, sugar the body's main energy source builds up in the blood. Diabetes ...

“After all, if there is no class stratification in a society, it follows that there is no State, because the State arose as an instrument to be used by a particular class to control the rest of society in its own interest.”- Walter Rodney. The year 1968 remains one of the most tumultuous single years in history. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is perhaps the most significant event of that year. The period of activism associated with Walter Rodney appears to have vanished. Those of us who attended the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus during the 1980’s and onwards were denied that rich student engagement which challenged the status quo of the day. The 23rd Walter Rodney Memorial Lecture was held virtually on Friday, October 15, 2021. Dr. Patricia Rodney, widow of Dr. Walter Rodney was very candid in her descriptive and at times painful recollection surrounding the events which unfolded during October 15-17, 1968. In what can be described as a conversatio...

“Cults can hide in many places. They are so adept at blending into society and masking their true colours that often their victims do not realize that they were even in a cult until they have escaped it. Nor do they fully comprehend the severity of the brainwashing that they were subjected to, until they are finally free of it.”- Natacha Tormey. To what extent does Jamaica’s education system facilitate our acceptance of cult-like behaviours? We all have been primed to become members of a cult. We live in a society where independent thoughts are not valued. We are socialized not to ask questions. We are told from infancy that children are to be seen but ought not to be heard. This mindset grows with us into adulthood. Jamaica, like most other countries utilizes a standardized curriculum which facilitates a culture of submissiveness. The legacies of a post-slavery society reverberate in all aspects of our culture. Do you recall the Jonestown massacre in Guyana? Undeniably, absent from ...

“Poverty is a moral indictment of our times.”- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The World Bank states the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have pushed between 143 and 163 million people into poverty in 2021. We do not need the World Bank to tell us that we have become poorer. On each visit to the grocery shop or wholesale our purchasing power decreases; one only has to look at the shopping cart. As consumers we have very little choices, it’s either we do without or we purchase if we can. We have been forced to cut back on some basic items. Unfortunately, not only has there been an increase in poverty, there has also been an increase in malnutrition. Many have had to skip a meal or two. Many mothers have had to go hungry in order to ensure that their children eat. Persistent poverty is a vicious cycle made worse by the insatiable appetite of the super-rich, who have become richer during the COVID-19 pandemic, and corrupt governments. The poorer one becomes the ...