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

“We have to stop rewarding bad behavior.”- Natalie Cole. It has been said quite frequently that living in Jamaica is Netflix itself. There is never a dull moment on this rock given the myriad of events occurring on a daily basis. The events are sometimes positives while other times they are disturbing. Nonetheless, these happenings come at us from every angle, from social media or traditional posts to the experiences gained while on our daily commute. The football fans among us are very much aware that we are in the final stages of the Inter- Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) schoolboy football competitions for both rural and urban schools. The Manning Cup is played for by urban schools while the daCosta Cup competition is for rural schools. On Sunday, November 26, there was a picture in one of our daily newspapers in the Sports Column depicting the daCosta Cup semi-final encounter between Clarendon College and Garvey Maceo High School. Clarendon College is the defending cham...

“Violence against women is a horrific violation of human rights, a public health crisis, and a major obstacle to sustainable development. Let’s build a world that refuses to tolerate violence against women anywhere, and in any form, once and for all.”- Secretary-General of the United Nations- António Guterres. The United Nations reports that the global cost of violence against women is huge, estimated to be at least $US 1.5 trillion or approximately 2 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) . Yet, its impact is often invisible or ignored, when instead it should be featured and funded at the highest levels of the political agenda. There can be no excuses for violence against women and girls. The United Nations (UN) indicates that although women and girls account for a far smaller share of total homicides than men, they bear by far the greatest burden of intimate partner/family‐related homicide, and intimate partner homicide. Undoubtedly, help is needed in all spheres of society...

The television has always been the center of attention. In fact, many will agree that the television is the throne in one’s living room. Perhaps you are old enough to remember a time in our history when televisions showed only black and white. On the other hand, you might not have a clue about that period of time. Regardless of where your frame of reference takes you we all can agree that the television has changed our lives forever. For many of us the television is more than a means of information and entertainment. Over the years the television has transcended from merely a piece of appliance to almost a person. This personification of the television has been elevated to the status of a caregiver for many children and indeed the elderly. In fact at some point in our lives the television was our sitter. In any given society the process of socialization is critical concerning how the values and norms are passed down to the next generation. Indeed the television has been an invaluabl...

“If we nurture the dreams of children, the world will be blessed. If we destroy them, the world is doomed!” - Wess Stafford. Childhood is a crucial stage in human development. Childhood is characterized by rapid physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. During this stage, children develop a range of uniqueness such as curiosity, imagination and playfulness that shape their personalities and prepare them for the challenges of adulthood. Unfortunately, many societies still operate on the outdated and problematic premise that children must be seen and not heard policy. In the aftermath of World War II, the plight of Europe’s children was grave, and a new agency created by the United Nations stepped in to provide food and clothing and health care to these children. In 1953, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) became a permanent part of the United Nations (UN). Children’s rights are human rights. Sadly, in too many places today, children’s rights are under attack. In many societi...

“All of us have to recognize that being a man is first and foremost being a good human. That means being responsible, being reliable working hard, being kind, respectful, compassionate.”- Barack Obama. Oftentimes the issues which are of concern to men are kicked to the sidelines in keeping with a skewed and misleading narrative that men should be rough, tough and void of emotions. In the wider society even on a regional level, men are faced with an unsustainable burden of being the breadwinner and protector of the family. For some men this burden weighs heavily as the expectations from both family and the wider society can be daunting. Of course, some men have no problem in fulfilling societal expectation of them regarding the role of a man. However, we acknowledge the fact that there are various strands of masculinity and regardless of which a male identifies with that should not render him any lesser of a man. This view of masculinity is problematic not only for men but also for bo...

“The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.”- Nelson Mandela. Globally, countless young individuals are victims of sexual misconduct and exploitation. Such violations are pervasive, cutting across all nations and societal strata. The United Nations adds, children, especially girls, are at a greater risk of experiencing forced sex and sexual exploitation, abuse and violence, including both online and offline, and it’s also a common situation during armed conflicts. In the global context of multiple challenges the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change and disasters, the inadequate action, or measures to address the root causes, such as rising inequalities, deepening poverty, and structural discrimination on intersecting grounds, continue to exacerbate the situations that expose children to exploitation, abuse and violence. Child victims and survivors of such crimes can face long-lasting negative impacts on their physical, mental,...

“With enhanced strategies to increase access to vaccination, screening and treatment, strong political and financial commitment from countries, and increased support from partners, we can realize our vision for eliminating cervical cancer.”- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Cervical cancer affects over half a million women each year, and kills a quarter of a million. One woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes, making it one of the greatest threats to women’s health. In 2020, 194 countries resolved to eliminate a cancer for the first time and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. November 17th each year is observed as the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action . In a world where so many women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, and approximately half succumb to this preventable disease, urgent action is imperative. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports tha...

One of my primary duties each morning is that of checking my parents' blood glucose levels and recording the readings. My dad has Type 1 Insulin dependent diabetes while mom has Type 2 diabetes. The management of diabetes is not a walk in the park. Like all non-communicable diseases, diabetes requires commitment and a dogged perseverance in order to remain as healthy as possible. The management of diabetes also requires a support system in order to navigate the hurdles that are associated with this lifestyle disease. Every November 14, World Diabetes Day is commemorated. This is an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of diabetes on the health of people and to highlight the opportunities to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day is Access to Diabetes Care . The emphasis on this World Diabetes Day will be on the need for equitable access as an essential element to the care and management of diabetes. The day is...

Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going." — Noam Shpancer. Human potential that is lost due to ill- health is immense. One of the biggest challenges teachers face is that everything they are expected to do is presented as urgent and necessary. Oftentimes deadlines are unrealistic and unreasonable. Each academic year thousands of dollars are spent by school authorities in order to organize and facilitate personal development workshops for the academic staff. While it is easy to calculate the sum spent on such personal development sessions; it is incalculable for us to put a dollar figure on the time spent by teachers to attend such professional development workshops. The vast majority of these professional development workshops tend to focus on equipping teachers with more instructional strategies, application of technology, especially as it relates to the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (ST...

“A good city planner does not sit in a room with maps, but goes out to the street and watches the way citizens want to interact with their public spaces. Design begins with a need. People first, then construction and then engineering.”- Mikael Colville-Anderson. Can you imagine a world without adequate town planning? Indeed, such a world would be chaotic and riddled with anxiety and stress. Unfortunately, many of us live in such a world and therefore World Town Planning Day is merely academic. World Town Planning Day is observed annually on November 8. This day is set aside to commemorate the important role planning and urban structuring play in the creation of our communities. Such a world would be far removed from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particularly goal #11 that addresses the safety and resilience of cities and human settlements. Town planning is one of the most important parts of creating our organized and livable communities. The Day was founded...

“We need to start investing now to protect long-term development against climate and other disaster risks.”- Mami Mizutori.- Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction. Jamaica is extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts. In addition, more than 60% of Jamaica’s population resides within 2 km of the coast, with the majority either dependent on, or affected by coastal activities. Tsunamis pose a significant threat to all of us, but they are particularly dangerous for certain groups of people, such as women, children, people with disabilities, and older persons. The word "tsunami" comprises the Japanese words "tsu" (meaning harbour) and "nami" (meaning wave). A tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean. Volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls can also generate a tsunami, as can a large a...