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...