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

“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 ...

“If we are going to see real development in the world then our best investment is women.”- Desmond Tutu. The United Nations International Day of Rural Women celebrates and honours women and girls living in rural areas on 15 October each year. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18 December 2007; the day recognizes the huge role that rural mothers, daughters and grandmothers play in producing food, and building agricultural and rural development worldwide. Rural women are often absent from the negotiation table. In many instances not much government attention and practical support is given to the rural economy, where agriculture continues to be the main contributor to people’s livelihoods. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the inequalities which exist between urban and rural; men and women; the digitally connected and those without access. National statistics in several Caribbean countries highlight a significant gender gap across th...

The human tendency is one in which we try to protect what we value and love. Sadly, while we all agree we love ourselves we tend to ignore our general health. When was the last time you had your eyes checked? We are faced with a reality regarding the high costs associated with maintaining one’s eye health. In Jamaica, the average cost to have one’s eyes checked is $9,000. Let us not even mention the cost for prescription glasses which can easily cost more than $100,000 for both the frame of the eye glass as well as to fit the lenses. Regrettably, health insurance is not readily available to most of the world’s population who live in poverty. The prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is estimated to be four times higher than in high-income regions With regards to near vision, rates of unaddressed near vision impairment are estimated to be greater than 80% in western, eastern and central sub-Saharan Africa, while comparative rates in high-income re...

“A digital revolution is not possible if the gender digital divide continues. Make way for girls who are ready to lead the digital revolution.”- United Nations Women. The educations of girls are often sacrificed compared to that of boys. We live in a male dominated world where patriarchy determines government’s programmes, policies and plans regarding development. Historically development is viewed through male lenses. Undoubtedly, human development cannot be realized if we continue to exclude the voices and opinions of women and girls from the halls of power and negotiations. Sadly, if we turn our attention to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in August of 2021 we clearly see what life is like without the inclusion of females. The education of girls beyond primary schools has been suspended in Afghanistan. Additionally, career women have been told to remain home and the future of girls in Afghanistan remains in a state of heightened uncertainty. Investments in ...

“Your mental health is everything prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it, because it does."- Mel Robbins. It is okay not to be okay. We all feel the stress resulting from COVID-19. Stress often comes with various factors such as our jobs, or lack thereof, our relationships or lack thereof and life itself. Most if not all of us have been there; experiencing a lack of interest in our jobs, family, avoiding social activities and family, not wanting to get out of bed or being overly anxious about life. Sadly, for those with mental health issues this phase is a fixed state of being and becomes problematic. We live in highly stressed time; especially in this era of the novel coronavirus which is ever mutating. For almost two years many of us have been in a bubble of sort as we have had to isolate and quarantine ourselves from contracting the highly transmittable and deadly COVID-19. As inhabitants of this planet we have not been the same since. Our lifestyles have cha...

“A good teacher can inspire hope; ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.”- Brad Henry. We all have a favourite teacher. It is often said that teachers are the roadmap to the future; they are the bridge between the past and the present and as a result teachers wield an enormous amount of power and influence. However, despite this the status of teachers worldwide remains on shaky grounds. Most societies pay scant regards to the welfare of teachers. The measly sums teachers receive for remuneration is shameful given the importance of teachers to nation building and character development. Unfortunately, the teaching profession continues to be seen as a stepping stone to better paying jobs. At the end of the day each teacher has to look out for his/her best interest; no one else will. Most societies place less currency on the profession as compared to other more desirable professions such as medicine and law. Additionally, the feminization of the profession over the years ...

“Ageing is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”- Betty Freidan. There have been countless discussions regarding growing old and the desperate search for the fountain of youth. Millions of dollars are spent annually on numerous products and surgical interventions which are touted as having the properties and powers to make us look youthful and forever young. The United Nations (UN) defines older persons as those aged 60 years or over. On many occasions old age is defined as 65+. Isaac Rubinow, states age 65 is generally set as the threshold of old age since it is at this period of life that the rates for sickness and death begin to show a marked increase over those of the earlier years. Population aging is the process by which older individuals become a proportionally larger share of the total population”. It is important to examine other closely related issues surrounding ageing and population aging. The UN states that since the study of population aging is ofte...