A day for women
By KARL E. CUPID Tobago Bureau Saturday, March 9 2013
THE Tobago House of
Assembly (THA) is to institute a “Fifty for Fifty Women” awards
programme to honour women for their contribution to the island’s
development and the advancement of women over the past 50 years.
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WITH
WOMEN IN MIND: Several persons availed themselves
of
pamphlets and other paraphernalia available at booths along
the
Brian Lara Promenade in Port-of-Spain as the country and
the
world yesterday observed International Women's Day.
|
Secretary
of Health/Social Services at the Assembly, Claudia Groome-Duke made the
disclosure as she saluted Tobago’s womenfolk for their invaluable
contribution to the country’s development, in an address on the occasion
of International Women’s Day celebrated yesterday.
Observing that “we live in an age that increasingly recognises the talents and achievements of women”, Groome-Duke, who is also Leader of Assembly Business in the THA, specifically pointed to the contributions of several women who were now serving at the highest levels of government, business and humanitarian organisations.
Among them, she listed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar; THA Deputy Chief Secretary/Secretary of Tourism and Transportation Tracey Davidson-Celestine; Opposition Senator Shamfa Cudjoe; former Government Minister Pamela Nicholson; former Assemblywoman Cynthia Alfred, all in the field of politics.
Dr Eastlyn McKenzie (Educator); former Scarborough Hospital Medical Director Dr Maria Dillon Remy (Medicine); attorney Deborah Moore-Miggins (Law); Beverley Ramsey-Moore and Marie Toby (Pan); and Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Josanne Lucas (Sport).
Groome-Duke noted that while growing numbers of women now lead countries and business companies, women were also generally expected to be the primary care-givers for the weakest and most vulnerable in society. She said the United Nations recognises that women continue to provide the majority of care to children, the elderly, communities, directly, and through non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “Women continue to shoulder such responsibilities — big and small, public and private — and in most societies women must balance obligations at work, at home and in their communities”, Groome-Duke asserted, noting that as one of several women in politics and as a policy-maker, she was fully aware of the complex challenges in managing multiple roles and meeting professional and family duties. “While I have met many terrific female business and government leaders, I have been most impressed by all women who have dedicated their lives in the development of our people as they continue to develop our country”, she stressed. “It is in this regard that we will launch the ‘Fifty for Fifty women’, where we do hope that the population in Tobago will select and nominate their stalwarts for an award in recognition of the ‘Advancement of Women’ over the last 50 years”. She however did not go into details of the award scheme. Groome-Duke added, “Today (Friday) I wish to recognise the women of Tobago, who strive daily to protect and care for their families, their communities, their country, and their world. The only real avenue we have of ending violence against women and children is through the recognition of the contribution of these women”, she stressed. At the same time, she noted that while the Division recognises that the empowerment of women was critical to progress, “we are aware, however, that challenges such as gender-based stereotypes that deny equitable access to opportunities, resources, assets and services continue to exist, and the Gender Affairs Unit (of the Division) has been given the Herculean task of ending these incidents. Now is the time for us to take action to eliminate the scourge that continues to negatively impact the fabric of society”, Groome-Duke declared. Activities to mark the annual observance included a parade featuring detachments of female Police and Fire Officers, and other uniformed voluntary groups and schoolchildren through the streets of Scarborough culminating at the Milford Road Esplanade where a formal ceremony was held.
Observing that “we live in an age that increasingly recognises the talents and achievements of women”, Groome-Duke, who is also Leader of Assembly Business in the THA, specifically pointed to the contributions of several women who were now serving at the highest levels of government, business and humanitarian organisations.
Among them, she listed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar; THA Deputy Chief Secretary/Secretary of Tourism and Transportation Tracey Davidson-Celestine; Opposition Senator Shamfa Cudjoe; former Government Minister Pamela Nicholson; former Assemblywoman Cynthia Alfred, all in the field of politics.
Dr Eastlyn McKenzie (Educator); former Scarborough Hospital Medical Director Dr Maria Dillon Remy (Medicine); attorney Deborah Moore-Miggins (Law); Beverley Ramsey-Moore and Marie Toby (Pan); and Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Josanne Lucas (Sport).
Groome-Duke noted that while growing numbers of women now lead countries and business companies, women were also generally expected to be the primary care-givers for the weakest and most vulnerable in society. She said the United Nations recognises that women continue to provide the majority of care to children, the elderly, communities, directly, and through non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “Women continue to shoulder such responsibilities — big and small, public and private — and in most societies women must balance obligations at work, at home and in their communities”, Groome-Duke asserted, noting that as one of several women in politics and as a policy-maker, she was fully aware of the complex challenges in managing multiple roles and meeting professional and family duties. “While I have met many terrific female business and government leaders, I have been most impressed by all women who have dedicated their lives in the development of our people as they continue to develop our country”, she stressed. “It is in this regard that we will launch the ‘Fifty for Fifty women’, where we do hope that the population in Tobago will select and nominate their stalwarts for an award in recognition of the ‘Advancement of Women’ over the last 50 years”. She however did not go into details of the award scheme. Groome-Duke added, “Today (Friday) I wish to recognise the women of Tobago, who strive daily to protect and care for their families, their communities, their country, and their world. The only real avenue we have of ending violence against women and children is through the recognition of the contribution of these women”, she stressed. At the same time, she noted that while the Division recognises that the empowerment of women was critical to progress, “we are aware, however, that challenges such as gender-based stereotypes that deny equitable access to opportunities, resources, assets and services continue to exist, and the Gender Affairs Unit (of the Division) has been given the Herculean task of ending these incidents. Now is the time for us to take action to eliminate the scourge that continues to negatively impact the fabric of society”, Groome-Duke declared. Activities to mark the annual observance included a parade featuring detachments of female Police and Fire Officers, and other uniformed voluntary groups and schoolchildren through the streets of Scarborough culminating at the Milford Road Esplanade where a formal ceremony was held.
Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,174580.html
By
Barbara Gloudon
Women who hold up the sky
By
Barbara Gloudon
YESTERDAY was International Women’s Day when we were reminded to
give thought to a vital part of the human family. “Women hold up half
the sky,” says a Chinese proverb. Every day, every week of every month,
we celebrate some special day or other and then go back to the old
routine, but none so important as this one. Woman—mother, sister,
daughter, auntie, bearer of life, family sustainer, independent yet
dependent, we hold up more than one element of nature, if you ask me.
As part of the half of humanity which does quite a bit of sky holding-up, I wish it to be made known that I don’t take this lightly, especially as we sky-upholders have had to fight from time began to gain our place.
Some persons, yet unaware of the value of sky-upholders, often appear uninterested in how long was the journey and how hard the road, and refused to accept that there are still victories to be won, not for one but all. To borrow from the Rastafarians, we’re still “trodding outta Babylon” one step at a time.
New heroines are created every day and not in the usual, expected way. A young Jamaican woman (Shanique Myrie), will become part of Caribbean legal history for her challenge to disrespect meted out to her and other women by “upholders of the law” in another country where, according to her allegations, she was violated and shown none of the courtesy expected of a good neighbour. The Caribbean Court of Justice has journeyed all the way here to try the matter, in so doing, moving from an abstract idea to a real, live process, an awakening to our country’s stubborn insistence on denying its value in a new kind of Caribbean which we say we want. Whatever the outcome, Miss Myrie’s determination to get justice may be a turning point in relations between Caribbean neighbours and put an end to the stories of humiliation and disrespect shown towards some Caribbean women, Jamaicans in particular. Win or lose, we will have a young woman to thank for her courage.
We’ve come a long distance in getting educated and qualified. Today, there are few professions where women are not found. How could sky-upholders of times long, long past even conceive the idea then that women would one day do real “man work” from piloting aeroplanes to being soldiers in war, from making scientific breakthroughs to balancing home and work at one and the same time, being mother and father in punishing economic times.
And who could foresee that there would be no more “maid” and “domestic servants” in our society, and someone would have the audacity to seek “equal pay for equal work” and “maternity leave with pay” and any other benefits for which our women have fought and still fight? We’ve come a really long way, baby, but don’t drop your guard. There are untold miles still to trod.
How are we going to stop the violence against women—one of the biggest challenges of the day? Who will stop mad men from taking the lives of mothers and children with unbelievable savagery, creating an early Armageddon and testing if the sky will fall?
We owe more than a tribute to those women who have kept that sky in place, holding up their end, enabling a new generation to continue the journey into a new world. Along the way, sometimes we forget at our peril the significance of those who went before. Imagine denying the existence of a Nanny, who led her people in a freedom battle against red-coat oppressors. If it was not her, then who? If she didn’t exist, then neither should the men whose victories we accept.
History is on the side of the sky-holder—uppers who became martyrs for freedom at Morant Bay (1865) and the Kingston waterfront (1938) and all the other battle grounds in our history where we had to “stand up pon wi own two foot and mek dem know sey we a smaddy too”. We tell of the brave men, enshrining them as National Heroes and all we can find is one woman whose existence we question.
Not all battles were major. There were some smaller but no less significant. Who can imagine a time when married women couldn’t hold jobs in the Civil Service and single mothers also in the “Service” had to pass off their children as nieces, nephews, anything but their own offspring—because that was Backra rule of the day. So, it was better to lie to keep up appearances on the job. How dare we forget a time when women of colour daren’t hope for work in banks and other places of business except in the back rooms because, it was said, “those people couldn’t count money like other races”. One day, that charade collapsed. Unfortunately some of us find fulfillment in the bleaching and the yak hair as if to eliminate our origins and identity. Oh it’s a long way baby. We’ve won some and lost some but no matter what, let’s keep holding up that sky.
The listing by Google of 17 women world leaders currently in power includes Portia Simpson-Miller (Jamaica) and Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Trinidad and Tobago) Google also lists three women Governors General in this region—Dame Ivy Dumont (Bahamas) Dame Louise Lake-Tack (Antigua/Barbuda) and Dame Pearlette Louisy (St Lucia). Didn’t know that, did you? But then we in the Caribbean and the adjacent neighbourhood hardly know each other..—Courtesy Jamaica Observer
As part of the half of humanity which does quite a bit of sky holding-up, I wish it to be made known that I don’t take this lightly, especially as we sky-upholders have had to fight from time began to gain our place.
Some persons, yet unaware of the value of sky-upholders, often appear uninterested in how long was the journey and how hard the road, and refused to accept that there are still victories to be won, not for one but all. To borrow from the Rastafarians, we’re still “trodding outta Babylon” one step at a time.
New heroines are created every day and not in the usual, expected way. A young Jamaican woman (Shanique Myrie), will become part of Caribbean legal history for her challenge to disrespect meted out to her and other women by “upholders of the law” in another country where, according to her allegations, she was violated and shown none of the courtesy expected of a good neighbour. The Caribbean Court of Justice has journeyed all the way here to try the matter, in so doing, moving from an abstract idea to a real, live process, an awakening to our country’s stubborn insistence on denying its value in a new kind of Caribbean which we say we want. Whatever the outcome, Miss Myrie’s determination to get justice may be a turning point in relations between Caribbean neighbours and put an end to the stories of humiliation and disrespect shown towards some Caribbean women, Jamaicans in particular. Win or lose, we will have a young woman to thank for her courage.
We’ve come a long distance in getting educated and qualified. Today, there are few professions where women are not found. How could sky-upholders of times long, long past even conceive the idea then that women would one day do real “man work” from piloting aeroplanes to being soldiers in war, from making scientific breakthroughs to balancing home and work at one and the same time, being mother and father in punishing economic times.
And who could foresee that there would be no more “maid” and “domestic servants” in our society, and someone would have the audacity to seek “equal pay for equal work” and “maternity leave with pay” and any other benefits for which our women have fought and still fight? We’ve come a really long way, baby, but don’t drop your guard. There are untold miles still to trod.
How are we going to stop the violence against women—one of the biggest challenges of the day? Who will stop mad men from taking the lives of mothers and children with unbelievable savagery, creating an early Armageddon and testing if the sky will fall?
We owe more than a tribute to those women who have kept that sky in place, holding up their end, enabling a new generation to continue the journey into a new world. Along the way, sometimes we forget at our peril the significance of those who went before. Imagine denying the existence of a Nanny, who led her people in a freedom battle against red-coat oppressors. If it was not her, then who? If she didn’t exist, then neither should the men whose victories we accept.
History is on the side of the sky-holder—uppers who became martyrs for freedom at Morant Bay (1865) and the Kingston waterfront (1938) and all the other battle grounds in our history where we had to “stand up pon wi own two foot and mek dem know sey we a smaddy too”. We tell of the brave men, enshrining them as National Heroes and all we can find is one woman whose existence we question.
Not all battles were major. There were some smaller but no less significant. Who can imagine a time when married women couldn’t hold jobs in the Civil Service and single mothers also in the “Service” had to pass off their children as nieces, nephews, anything but their own offspring—because that was Backra rule of the day. So, it was better to lie to keep up appearances on the job. How dare we forget a time when women of colour daren’t hope for work in banks and other places of business except in the back rooms because, it was said, “those people couldn’t count money like other races”. One day, that charade collapsed. Unfortunately some of us find fulfillment in the bleaching and the yak hair as if to eliminate our origins and identity. Oh it’s a long way baby. We’ve won some and lost some but no matter what, let’s keep holding up that sky.
The listing by Google of 17 women world leaders currently in power includes Portia Simpson-Miller (Jamaica) and Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Trinidad and Tobago) Google also lists three women Governors General in this region—Dame Ivy Dumont (Bahamas) Dame Louise Lake-Tack (Antigua/Barbuda) and Dame Pearlette Louisy (St Lucia). Didn’t know that, did you? But then we in the Caribbean and the adjacent neighbourhood hardly know each other..—Courtesy Jamaica Observer
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