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

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?”- 1 Corinthians 14:23. Last week the local news was dominated by an unusual happening at the Oberlin High School which is located in West Rural Saint Andrew. Like most schools at the secondary level, Oberlin High School is also a church school. Oberlin High School falls under the institutions affiliated with The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. On the school’s website, it states, students are given the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential and are guided by Christian principles. Since the start of the 2022/2023 academic year Oberlin High School has been receiving a wave of negative publicity. According to a local newspaper a number of Oberlin High School students collapsed and fainted during general devotion. It was also revealed that even after the school was dismissed early, students collapsed outside

“No place is safe until polio has been eradicated everywhere. As long as the virus still exists somewhere in the world, it can spread – including in our own country. We now have a realistic chance to eradicate polio completely.”- Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany. Globally, millions of children are at a heightened risk of contracting polio. Polio is a preventable disease. Unfortunately amid disruptions to vital immunization programmes due to the coronavirus pandemic the time is now for the international community to renew and redouble all efforts to eradicate polio. Polio is a highly contagious and dangerous disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) a

“If you care about Black women’s health, you have to care about our hair.” – Professor Wendy Greene. There are some news stories which have not received the traction as it ought to have had. Needless to say most stories associated with us as Blacks are not given the prominence in traditional media as against stories concerning whites. This is not surprising given that those who tell our stories do not share our skin colour. Additionally, the owners of traditional media are overwhelmingly white. Recently, researchers noted that Black women may have a higher risk of uterine cancer than women who reported not using chemical hair straightening products. This ground-breaking research was done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A group of researchers with the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at the hair care habits of more than 33,000 women and found that those who used chemical hair straightening products at least four times a year were more than tw

“Poverty is a denial of human rights for every individual. Indeed, poverty is utterly appalling. Not only does it lead to a life of daily deprivation, hunger and suffering, but it also prevents the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, which every human being should be able to enjoy without hindrance."- Kofi Annan- Former Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dignity for all in practice is the theme of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty . On December 22, 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The dignity of the human being is not only a fundamental right in itself but constitutes the basis of all other fundamental rights. Therefore, “Dignity” is not an abstract concept: it belongs to each and every one. Today, many people living in persistent poverty experience their dignity being denied and disrespected. Data from the United Nations (UN) shows that an estimated 1.3 billio

“As we age, we utilize our back and our neck more and more.”- Dr. Mo Bydon- spine surgeon at Mayo Clinic. It is safe to say we have all experienced pain. Globally, it is estimated that over 540 million people suffer with low back pain at any one time. Lower back pain remains the leading cause of years lived with disability. Unfortunately, we do not have a strong history of occupational safety in the society. Many of us spend long hours seated which is not good for our spines. World Spine Day is observed annually on October 16. World Spine Day recognizes the lack of access to quality spine care and rehabilitation in under-served communities, which results in chronicity and permanent deformity. For many populations, spinal pain and disability is not just a minor inconvenience, it can mean not being able to work and provide food and sustenance. It is believed World Spine Day is the largest global public health event dedicated to promoting spinal health and well-being. World Spine Day

“Rural women play a critical role in ensuring the world can be fed - yet they continue to experience systemic racism, structural poverty and discrimination.”- António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. Historically, the voices of women have been muted. Unfortunately, women’s active contribution to the farming sector remains often hidden and unpaid. Rural women have had to bear a voiceless atmosphere in both the private and public domains. Many of us have been experiencing food insecurity for the first time in our memories. There are some scholars who have argued that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the global food insecurity. The international community commemorates the International Day of Rural Women on October 15. This year’s theme is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All” . The day is set aside to highlight the essential role that rural women and girls play in the food systems of the world. Most if not all of us enjoy good food, however we oftentimes do not make the connect

Vision is our most important sense as our eyesight drives our perception. Eye conditions are remarkably common. Those who live long enough will experience at least one eye condition during their lifetime. Vision impairment affects people of all ages. In many instances teachers are the ones who identify that something is wrong with a student as oftentimes students complain that they are unable to read what is written on the whiteboard. Screening for eye conditions should be done at least once per year. Usually some of eye conditions are hereditary and in such cases screening might be required more often. In low- and middle-income settings the burden of vision impairment can be even greater due to fewer opportunities to access the most essential eye care services. In Jamaica, most private ophthalmologists charge approximately $10,000 per visit. A pair of eye glasses can easily cost over a $100,000 and it is not uncommon for many in the societiy to have outdated prescription lens due t

“Every girl, no matter where she is born, should be able to express her views, live free of violence and discrimination, and have a fair chance to reach her full potential.”- Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director, UN Women. In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which arguably is the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights. However, despite the increased attention regarding issues of concern to girls a significant number of girls have not been empowered to realize their true potentials. The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) states investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to confront a myriad of challenges to fulfilling their potential; made worse by concurrent crises of climate change, COVID-19 and humanitarian conflict. Girls around the world c

“People who are homeless are not social inadequates. They are people without homes.”- Sheila McKechnie. Homelessness is pervasive. October 10 2022 marks the 12th annual World Homeless Day . The purpose of World Homeless Day is to draw attention to the needs of people who experience homelessness and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness. Homelessness is one of the most pressing social issues of the 21st century. The increase cost of housing is perhaps at the foundation of homelessness in many instances. A significant number of individuals are not receiving a livable wage and as a result their housing needs are not being met. Is there an official definition of homelessness? The United States of America Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines homeless as: “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a s

“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” - Brad Henry. Teachers are at the centre of every education system. Yet, the teaching profession is still not properly recognized and supported. The teaching profession is oftentimes characterized by overcrowded classrooms, a lack of professional and sustained development of teachers and poor remuneration. World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the globe. The theme this year is “ The transformation of education begins with teachers ”. The day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The day is set aside to recognize the teaching profession and the dedication of our hardwo

“Today, over one billion people live in overcrowded settlements with inadequate housing and that number is rising every day. We need more urgent action and greater investment to provide affordable housing to all alongside access to electricity, water, sanitation, transport, and other basic services. To leave no one behind is the core pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”- Antonio Guterres- United Nations Secretary-General. All across the globe millions of people live in squalor. This is challenging for many governments and over the years various programmes and solutions have been sought. UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind. World Habitat Day is held on the first Monday of October. The United Nations (UN) designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our habitats,

“A society that does not value its older people denies its root and endangers its future.”- Nelson Mandela. Many of us fear growing old, not because growing old is bad but because of the discriminatory practices in the society towards older persons. Ageing is inevitable. The United Nations (UN) states that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities, thus severely impacting the socioeconomic, environmental, health and climate related impacts on the lives of older persons, especially older women who constitute the majority of older persons. While older women continue to meaningfully contribute to their political, civil, economic, social and cultural lives; their contributions and experiences remain largely invisible and disregarded, limited by gendered disadvantages accumulated throughout the life course. The intersection between discrimination based on age and gender, compounds new and existing inequalities, including negative stereotypes that combine ageism and sexis