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

Those of us who do not stutter may think that stuttering is not a big deal. Yet, for those who stutter, it is a huge deal. Young children get teased for their speech. School-age children may not participate in classroom activities. Employers may choose not to hire someone who stutters. The British Stammering Association defines stammering, otherwise known as stuttering, as a neurological condition that makes it physically hard to speak. Someone who stammers may repeat sounds or syllables, make sounds longer, get stuck on certain words or have words that don’t come out at all, despite knowing what they want to say. More than 70 million people around the world stutter. This means that while talking, they repeat syllables, sounds or words. People who stutter also prolong sounds or experience unwanted interruptions in their speech. They know what they want to say, but are unable to produce a normal flow of speech. This disorder usually affects children between the ages of 2 and 6. This is ...

Culture is never static. The Jamaican culture is as diverse as it is misunderstood. Brand Jamaica is renowned globally and works extremely well in attracting millions of tourists to our shores annually. Whether it is our language, dance, food or our social norms, Jamaicans stand out in any crowd. UNESCO defines culture as the collective beliefs, values, customs, and practices that characterize a particular group or society. It encompasses language, art, religion, and social norms, shaping how individuals interact with one another and perceive the world. A society therefore must be intentional in preserving and passing on their culture. We cannot take our foot off the pedal of socialization. While the process of socialization should begin at home we are mindful that many families are dysfunctional and the education system becomes the primary agent of socialization. The education system is often expounded as the vehicle to pass on the values and attitudes of the society. However, our s...

”Global hunger isn’t about the absence of food. It’s about the presence of entrenched injustice.”- Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. 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 reaffirming a shared commitment to end hunger, strengthen food security, and build a future w...

“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. Women have long confronted a culture of exclusion. Today, rural women remain especially vulnerable to these systemic barriers, even though women make up nearly 40 percent of the world's agricultural labor force. Rural women have less access to a range of resources, from land rights and credit to education and technology. Although women make up almost four out of every ten people in the agricultural workforce, they own only about 15 percent of agricultural land. 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, inclu...

Globally, more than a billion people live with a mental health condition. Life often comes at us hard. Yet, we must find ways and means of coping. Our overall wellbeing is hinged on the state of our mental wellness. Unfortunately, due to the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental wellness many of us suffer in silence. It is this prolonged period of suffering that often translates into a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental disorder. Traditional masculinity norms such as pushing for toughness, emotional control, and total self-reliance considerably hinder men's mental health by discouraging help-seeking and forcing distress into masked symptoms like anger, substance use, or suicide. Many mental health conditions can be effectively treated at relatively low cost, yet health systems remain significantly under-resourced and treatment gaps are wide all over the world. Mental health care is often poor in quality when delivered. People with mental health conditions often also experie...

Around the world, teachers continue to face excessive workloads, insufficient salaries, growing administrative burdens, a growing culture of disrespect, poor working conditions, attacks on academic freedom and professional autonomy, as well as worsening teacher shortages. At the same time, teachers are helping learners navigate the impacts of conflict, inequality, climate change, technological transformation, and democratic challenges. Yes, the job description of the teacher is never-ending. World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the globe. The day is set aside to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (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...

It is the best of times; it is the worst of time. Aging is morphed into a mixed bag of emotions. Without support this phase of one’s life can be quite lonely and challenging. Unfortunately, many of us are unprepared for the changes that come with growing older. Humanity is living longer than ever. The United Nations (UN) states that global life expectancy has risen increasingly for over seven decades, yet the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy reached 9.6 years in 2019, reflecting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Longer lives are drawing greater attention to how health, social and economic conditions, and human rights are experienced. Longevity intersects with health systems, labour markets, social protection, education, housing and fiscal sustainability in ways that cannot be addressed in isolation. Where years are lived in good health and supported by inclusive labour markets and effective social protection, longer lives can generate a longevity ...