At the Commonwealth Conference of 2011, Her Majesty the Queen of England made a speech highlighting the role of women in the future. She said: “The theme of this year is ‘Women as Agents of Change.”’ It reminds us of the potential in our societies that is yet to be fully unlocked, and it encourages us to find ways to allow girls and women to play their full part. She further stated: “We must continue to strive in our own countries and across the Commonwealth together to promote that theme in a lasting way beyond this year.”
In the olden days, our women were left behind to look after the family while the men went off to distant lands in search of a better way of life simply because our rock, long neglected by those tasked with providing the essentials for our very own existence, failed to do so and, consequently, we had to fend for ourselves.
Today, we stand on the cusp of a brand new movement, one that has the opportunity to return women back to the fold – that of participating once again in our democracy. Madeline Albright, the chair of the National Democratic Institute argued that: “Every country deserves to have the best possible leader and that means that women have to be given a chance to compete in the electoral process, or the country is robbing itself of a great deal of talent.” Miss Albright went on to claim that equitable participation of women in politics and government is essential to building and sustaining a democracy.
Having recently celebrated the year of the woman, it then stands to reason that now is the time for our women to step forward and assume their long awaited and rightful place on the local and national stage. This year, we as a people, have that chance to show that we do in fact believe that women can indeed make a difference, a difference that we so yearned for. A. Lynn Boles, writing for women studies at the University of Maryland in an article entitled Making it Work in the English Speaking Caribbean: Women as Mothers, Providers and Political Leaders, contends that: “Over the centuries and across the region, women regardless of race, class, ethnicity, or suffrage struggled to effect political power in wider society.”
Back in the early days, because of the deplorable conditions under which we were forced to live, the women were left behind as the men went off to foreign lands, such as Santo Domingo, Curacao and Aruba, in search of employment, for there was no other way to support one’s family. Boles further contends that: “During the 20th century, women have used a variety of strategies to change policy, create prescriptives for the common good, or to bring attention to injustice, inequality or other social causes.” That they were able to break through a male dominated stronghold, she says, is of great importance here. Women of the Commonwealth Caribbean are the true pioneers of political activism in the region. Who can forget Albena Lake Hodge and Idahlia Gumbs, the ladies who stood toe to toe with our finally departed CM. Who can forget the women of Island Harbour, and other parts of the island, who marched and stood by their men folk during the dog days of our revolution, when they were being hunted like animals by law enforcement?
Women have always been agents of change, whether they knew it or not. They never had to be told what to do – they’ve always had that innate ability to multitask and make it look effortless. Women throughout the world have assumed their rightful place. No longer should they accept anything other than top billing on the world stage. No longer should they accept less than what they’re truly worth. No longer should they accept less for doing the same job as a man. Women have always been the ones to get the job done. They have been the ones to speak truth to power. When the men engage in bad behavior, the women are least likely to do so. Women have great interpersonal skills – they’re outspoken, have a firm resolve and last, but not least, they usually have a philosophical understanding of the situation and ideas of how best to rectify it.
If we are to move forward as a budding democracy, then we have to, in the words of Madeline Albright, “include women as part of that democracy, for they bring a wealth of knowledge with a work ethic to match.” Their success can be attributed to their individual charismatic personalities, their organizational skills, political savvy and specific family histories which takes us right back to where we started. Our women know what they’ve had to deal with, and they did this on a daily basis.
It is no secret, then, that our women have always been our first line of defense. They’re the ones who raised us, taught us in school, stood by our bedsides when we were ill, stayed up all night with us when we couldn’t sleep while, at the same time, having five or six others to look after, and then later on play the dual part of mother and father. It is said that women around the world often face daunting social, economic and political challenges everyday, and for a democracy to function, it is essential to support women because they are highly committed to promoting national and local policies that address the socio-economic and political challenges facing women, children and disadvantaged groups. Another reason to include women is that they’re politically effective in promoting honest government where women are supported as leaders, and at the ballot box, and have a correspondingly low level of corruption. The last reason was being linked to positive developments in education, infrastructure and health standards at the local level. The NDI concludes that where the rates of gender development and empowerment are higher, human rates of development and standards of living are also higher.
It is obvious that this is the year of the woman. Just recently Hillary Clinton launched her second attempt for the Democratic nomination to contest the 2016 presidential election, and one would have to agree that she has the pedigree to occupy the White House as the next president of the United States of America.
It is true that we face many challenges, political as well as economic but, if we’re to get through this, we have to have all hands on deck. At her speech before the United Nations Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani young woman who was shot by the Taliban, called on women and young girls to fight for their rights, saying no longer should they depend on the men to do so – and even though she said I’m not telling men to step away from speaking for women’s rights, she instead focused on the fact women must be independent to fight for themselves. Phyllis Shand, one of the persons responsible for the funding of the medical school of the University of the West Indies Jamaica, took a slightly different tack. Speaking as VP of Caribbean Women’s Assoc, she noted that: “If women decide to act in unity, they are quite invincible. The only thing is that men know this too and their counteraction may be summed up in these words. Flatter and divide and above all keep them in their place.” She goes on to say: “Of course it is up to the individual woman to decide what that proper place is; but fewer and fewer of us nowadays accept anything less than absolute equality with joint responsibility.”
Next week we have an opportunity to show the world that we have in fact matured as a people, and that we are ready to elect our first female Chief Minister. It is time we chose someone who has the wherewithal, the knowhow, the compassion, the intellectual bandwidth, the ability to think outside of the box in addition to seeing the big picture. Let us put aside our grudges and pettiness and, for once, put country above self. This marvelous rock we call Anguilla longs to go back to her glory days and this election day let us make it happen. Let us vote for those who will focus on the young, the old and the needy. Let us vote for those who will fight for meaningful afterschool programs – who will bring back the jobs so that each and every person who wants a job can find one.
At this time and place, we approach the annals of history. We stand on the shoulders of giants who went before us. On this election day let us make them proud. Let us not squander another opportunity to right this ship. Let us elect someone who will have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to those who would lead us in the wrong direction. Look around you, as we speak, the tides are changing. We need people who can walk the walk and talk the talk. No longer should we sit back and wait for things to happen. It is time that we make them happen.
We have lots of problems and this is the one time that we have a chance to do something about them. Think about all the things that are wrong. Our credit rating, the local banks, our infrastructure, our supposed failed state status, our lack of water and our inability to stay on the power grid… and the list goes on. My brothers and sisters, if ever there was a time to act that time is now. Next Wednesday, we have a chance to dream and say why not. Remember: “it is not just the fault of the axe, but the tree as well.” Let us exercise our constitutional right and vote. So, until I see you at the polls, may God continue to bless and keep us, and may God Bless Anguilla.
