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

An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us. In the Caribbean, there are over 1 million persons living with some form of disability this amounts to more than the population of certain countries in the sub-region. Across the Caribbean, persons with disabilities face discrimination and exclusion. Social exclusion is caused by underlying systemic barriers that limit the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in social, economic and political life. Persons with disabilities have lower outcomes in education, employment and health compared to other population groups. Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health. Each year the global community observes International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 03. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issue...

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) states that the Caribbean has the highest incidence rate of reported AIDS cases in the Americas. With between 350,000 and 590,000 Caribbean people living with HIV/AIDS, the region has an adult HIV prevalence rate between 1.9% and 3.1%, second only to Africa (7.5% and 8.5%). Of that number, 83 per cent know their status and 68 per cent of them are on treatment. However, only 57 per cent of people living with HIV are virally suppressed and thus have a reduced risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partners. As a region the Caribbean is facing a generalized epidemic. HIV/AIDS is well entrenched here, with a national prevalence of at least 1% in 12 countries, all of them in the Caribbean Basin. The most recent national estimates showed HIV prevalence among pregnant women reaching or exceeding 2% in eight countries: the Bahamas, Belize, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Over thirty thousand p...

Oftentimes, we take the issue of connectivity for granted. Connectivity is one of those infrastructures that we only notice when it fails. Whether it is internet access, access to roads and railway services, mobile networks, or even electricity grids, our daily lives hinge on these systems working seamlessly. Transport is vital for promoting connectivity, trade, economic growth and employment. On the other hand, transport is also implicated as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Without a doubt, resolving these trade-offs is essential to achieving sustainable transport and, through that, sustainable development. The first World Sustainable Transport Day is being observed on November 26. The United Nations (UN) defines sustainable transport as “the provision of services and infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods advancing economic and social development to benefit today’s and future generations in a manner that is safe, affordable, accessible, efficient,...

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.”- William Shakespeare. Teaching is a performance. Performance has always been part of the delivery of educational content. As a result, education theatrics is largely grounded in a philosophy of performance and humour. Education theatrics often refers to the performative characteristics of schooling where the emphasis shifts from genuine learning to appearances and symbolic gestures. Such rituals are not necessarily done with the best interests of the students. Additionally, resources are channeled into outward appearances, such as buildings rather than pedagogy. In this aspect of performance, the teacher becomes a performer in the delivery of his or her content, while students play the role of captive audience. In addition, teachers are pressured to perform compliance instead of fostering creativity. However, the script oftentimes does not go as planned. In the world...

The issues and experiences of men and boys are not taken seriously. In many societies men are expected to be tough and void of emotions. In our gendered approach to socializations boys from an early age are not shown as much attention when they hurt. Young boys are taught to “toughen up” or “suck it up” when hurt or when facing challenges. Emotional suppression is a learnt behaviour and lays the foundation for shame for unresolved feelings. This oftentimes positions anger and rage as the only acceptable masculine emotions. This “man up” attitude and narrative matures into a rejection of empathy toward others and repackages nurturing impulses as “weak.” Additionally, it is also very disrespectful for females to tell grown men to ‘man up’. It is this double standard approach regarding the sexes that oftentimes contribute to toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity refers to a set of negative and harmful social norms that are associated with traditional ideas of manhood, such as emotional ...

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”- Psalms 75:6-7. The intersectionality of cultural norms and sexual behaviour is nothing new. Cultural norms are the standards that govern behaviour in a particular society. In other words, these are shared beliefs about acceptable behavior. Norms determine how people interact with each other, shaping everything from our social etiquette to our moral codes. Norms are not static but change with time, with some old ones getting abandoned and new ones emerging. Undoubtedly, there is an interconnectedness between cultural norms and the state of the society. In any discourse surrounding norms, we must acknowledge that there are those individuals who do not subscribe to cultural norms. From time immemorial sex has always been used as a form of currency or payment by both genders. Weaponized Sexuality . Over the centuries sex has been used a...

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”- Marcus Garvey. There is a sense of urgency to rebuild Jamaica after the catastrophic and devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa which made landfall on October 28, 2025 packing winds of 185 miles per hour. The lives of many Jamaicans have been in limbo since that fateful day. Jamaicans are resilient. The process of rebuilding must be intentional and purposeful. Rebuilding is much more than replacing physical structures. Rebuilding incorporates the spirit and history of that space to be rebuilt. Jamaica’s strong and historic Judeo- Christian background must also be taken into account in refashioning this new Jamaica. Culture is the way of life of a people. Jamaica’s culture is an amalgamation of various groups of people who settled on the island over the centuries. Our culture and our laws have to a great extent been shaped by Christian beliefs and faith. Reconstructing any town es...

“School closures have caused large and persistent damage to children’s learning and wellbeing, the cost of which will be felt for decades to come.”- The World Bank. The 2025/20226 academic year will not be forgotten anytime soon. The impact of Hurricane Melissa which made landfall on October 28, 2025 has caused monumental disruption not only to the lives of countless Jamaicans but to the education system. Hurricane Melissa is the strongest storm to strike Jamaica in modern history, the hurricane sustained winds of 298km/h (185 mph) at its peak stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. To date, 32 deaths have been confirmed, yet many more Jamaicans remain missing. What is evident is that it cannot be school as usual. Unfortunately, prior to the destructive force of Hurricane Melissa Jamaica’s education system was already showing signs of distress. A number of teachers were already teaching on empty. Additionally, a number of our students were already lea...

Resilience By Wayne Campbell The land still saturated from yesterday’s tears breathes in the freshness of morning, a welcome scent of survival. The sun finds its way, piercing through the drenched earth’s sorrow, casting light on what endured. Trees stand tall, though many leaves fell in battle. Their silence speaks of resilience. Birdsong returns in splendor, a chorus of life reclaiming its place. Puddles shimmer mirrors of memory, scattered reminders of what passed. Dark clouds, once heavy with grief, now drift with renewed purpose. And calm, once taken for granted returns unassumingly. ©

Increasingly, teachers globally are being asked to enter domains outside of their scope and professional training and this raises ethical questions. While many educators willingly execute these additional duties the truth is a significant number of such duties raise ethical and legal questions. The term educational ethics denotes the sub-field of applied ethics which incorporates debate about the scope, purposes and theories of professional ethics in teaching and the moral work of teachers. Educational ethics is a field which considers ethical problems and dilemmas specific to the complexities of education, with a view to assisting educators, educational policy-makers and school communities to clarify these context-specific problems and make ethical recommendations for their resolution. The fact that ethics has many nuances is not a reason for the teacher to throw ethics through the door. The ethical dimension of teaching is ever-present and as part of teachers’ professional ethics, i...

”Global hunger isn’t about the absence of food. It’s about the presence of entrenched injustice.”- Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. The international community is precariously perched regarding food security and hunger. More than eight per cent of the world population or around 673 million people are not getting enough to eat and going hungry. The United Nations adds that 30% of all food produced globally is lost or wasted annually. These statistics are alarming and should serve as a call to action. This year’s World Food Day should therefore take on an added significance to address global hunger and food security. World Food Day is observed annually on October 16th. The day is set aside to raise global awareness about hunger, malnutrition, and the pressing need for sustainable food systems. World Food Day serves as a reminder that access to safe and nutritious food is a fundamental human right, not a privilege. The day unites nations, communities, and individuals in reaf...

In a world steeped in patriarchy the worth of rural women is oftentimes undervalued and underappreciated. Despite this, women make up close to 40% of global agricultural labour force according to a 2023 United Nations report. Women and girls in rural areas suffer disproportionately from multi-dimensional poverty. Unquestionably, they are as productive and enterprising as their male counterparts but are less able to access land, credit, agricultural inputs, markets, and high-value agrifood chains and obtain lower prices for their crops. Disturbingly, structural barriers and discriminatory social norms continue to constrain women’s decision-making power and political participation in rural households and communities. Women and girls in rural areas lack equal access to productive resources and assets, public services, such as education and health care, and infrastructure, including water and sanitation, while much of their labour remains invisible and unpaid. Globally, with few excepti...

“Every girl, everywhere, deserves equality, opportunity, and dignity.”- UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. Historically and culturally, girls have been regarded as less important. In some cultures, female fetuses are aborted as girls are seen as a burden on families. This entrenched discrimination against girls has grown over the years. In Afghanistan girls are not permitted to have an education beyond grade 6. Alarmingly, 80% of school-aged Afghan girls and women are out of school. Many are forced into marriages. This retrograde policy by the Taliban controlled government has restricted and suspended the human rights of girls. Across the globe, gender equality is frowned upon, giving rise to a rigid culture of patriarchy and control over the bodies and minds of girls. Too many girls do not have a safe space whether at home or at school. Oftentimes, schools are sites for conflict and trauma. Girls are frequently bullied and abused. Unfortunately, in many spaces, bullying has beco...

One out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime, according to a large-scale study co-led by researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland. The study showed that the most common mental illnesses were mood disorders, such as major depression or anxiety, and that the risk of certain mental disorders differed by sex. The three most common mental health disorders among women were: depression, specific phobia a disabling anxiety that interferes with daily life and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The three most common mental health disorders among men were: alcohol abuse, depression and specific phobia. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders with conditions such as anxiety and depression contributing to immense human and economic tolls. While many countries have strengthened their mental health policies and programmes, greater investme...