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

Carnival at the University of the West Indies, (UWI), Mona Campus, has grown in popularity since the festival was first introduced to Jamaica in the early 1950’s by students from across the Caribbean. Traditionally, carnival is celebrated the week before Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of the Lenten Season. Interestingly, the space UWI Carnival occupies does not only provide entertainment and fun for the revelers in general, many agree that the spirit of carnival has given a voice to those on the fringes of society, especially in a context of homophobia and transphobia culture in the wider society. It can be argued that carnival brings together a wide cross section of the Jamaican society who otherwise would not have necessarily cross paths. While it is true that those who are immensely engaged in the merry- making tend to be from the middle class, there is no denying the fact that there is a convergence of social classes, especially for the Last Lap, which customarily takes place...

The international community paused on March 8 to acknowledge the social, political, cultural, economic achievements of women globally as well as to encourage gender parity. The theme for International Women’s Day 2017 is “Be Bold For Change”. In many societies women are discriminated against and their voice given a back seat. Disturbingly, in some countries the female fetus is often aborted as many families view girls as a burden on the economics of the family and therefore no preparation of very little is made for girls. The discrimination of girls and women globally is rooted in a patriarchal system in which the male gender is given pride of place along with privileges and benefits attached to being male. Unfortunately, many men still identify women through sexist lenses for the sole purpose of sexual gratification. The culture of entitlement to female bodies served on a platter for men’s pleasure must be interrogated and replaced. It bears thought that sexual abuse, sexual hara...

“Too many of the elderly do not have the family or the communal attachments necessary to feel valued; too many are widowed or otherwise alone; too many live in surroundings where they are essentially without the companionship necessary to stimulate a mind in danger of deteriorating” – Sherwin B. Nuland It is a topic we rarely speak about in this ‘conservative’ society. The Jamaican society for the most part still has not accepted the practice of placing the elderly in homes or infirmaries. There is a tendency and much support to care for the elderly and infirmed within the confines of the home. There is still much inclination, associated especially in some circles, to look down on those families who place their elderly members in old age homes. Notwithstanding this, one of the more common types of nursing home abuse is sexual abuse. Disturbingly, elderly nursing home residents make easy targets for sexual predators due to the fact that they are often weak and defenseless. Sexual a...

"Peace cannot be kept be force; it can only be achieved by understanding".- Albert Einstein  According to police statistics, 1350 Jamaicans were murdered in 2016. Despite the downward trend of other crimes, such as rape, aggravated assault and robbery, the murder rate for the island has been rather troubling to say the least. Sadly, successive governments over the years have been unable to address the island’s spiraling crime rate. According to police data the murder rate in 2016 was an 11 per cent increase over 2015. Yet, despite the doom and gloom there was a bright spot for the community of August Town which recorded zero murders in 2016. The environs of August Town at one time had a reputation of crime and violence so much so that people were afraid to venture into the area. A number of stakeholders at the time sought it appropriate to invest their time and money in order to transform what was once considered a high crime ridden area. In 2008 a peace agreement was signed...

It is rather unfortunate that when we speak about literacy and all its variations we tend to overlook health literacy.   Health literacy is defined in the Institute of Medicine Report, Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion as the degree to which individuals have the capability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Regrettably, in spite of numerous interventions over the years Jamaica still has not reached 100 per cent literacy. This sad reality can and does have long term and devastating consequences, especially on our elderly population, the subset often inflicted and impacted by lifestyle diseases. The inability to read oftentimes can put one’s health in jeopardy since the individual will not have the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to, for example, to understand nutrition labels and read doctor’s instructions regarding how to administer medication. Additionally, the measurement of me...

On February 11, 2017, the global community paused to commemorate the United Nations Internationally Day of Women and Girls in Science. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimate that only 28 per cent of researchers are females. Historically, women and girls have been restricted from achieving their human rights to an education. Many jurisdictions in an attempt to increase the participation of women and girls in the fields of science have been placing more emphasis and resources on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Jamaica’s new National Standard Curriculum (NSC) is pivotal in addressing the disconnect between the participation of both sexes regarding equal access to education.       It bears thought that governments all across the globe need to be more responsive to the needs of women and girls in achieving gender equality.   Sadly, the breaking of the class ceiling is still a dream for many wom...

Standing in the hallowed hallway of the college of my choice Beaming with pride and joy Anxious and somewhat frightened, what was I thinking? Is a college degree worth the sacrifice, I repeatedly asked myself Indoctrinated! I took the bait, hook line and sinker To this fallacy, created by the movers and shakers of this cruel world To keep us in line! Maintaining the status quo in order to stifle our creativity Why didn’t I see this coming? To be counted among the vocational areas was to be considered Intellectually challenged, dull! Dunce! If only I knew then what I know now. Fast forward! Downtrodden, a grave sense of despair and hopeless Trapped!   Rocked by the insecurities of this world Governments held to ransom By multinational lending agencies Structural Adjustment Programmes designed to keep us dependent, while the rich wallow in ill- gotten gains Neo- Colonialism! Oppression! Capitalism! Our humanity have been stripped bare Exposing our backsides fo...