This week the Gender Affairs Unit, in the Ministry of Social Development, is leading the observance of Women’s Week 2020. During this time the accomplishments of outstanding women in our community are showcased, and opportunities are provided for discourse on several issues affecting women. The week is often considered one of empowerment and sisterhood. The efforts of those involved must be applauded as they bring awareness to women’s rights and dispel long-held stereotypes.
As a man, it is often difficult to even attempt to speak about issues affecting women because it seems that, no matter what our views are, somehow we always end up on the wrong side of the fence. I don’t expect it to be any different this time around.
By all means, I am a proponent of women’s rights. Women’s rights are human rights. However, because they have been treated inequitably for so long, there is a need to specially advocate for the rights of women. Some of the issues that women have had to fight for, over the years, include: equal pay for equal work; the right to control what happens to, and inside, their bodies; the right to be safe (from abuse, sexual harassment, assault, forced labour); the right to be treated with respect and to voice their personal and professional opinions without being discounted.
There are several persons in our community who have advocated for women’s rights, for many years, and would have been successful in their efforts in having the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) extended to Anguilla — some years ago. They ought not to be forgotten. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the efforts made by these distinguished advocates are likely to be undermined by other women. Call me old fashioned, but it seems to me that the rights that have been fought for, over the years, have now been reduced by some women to the right to indecent exposure in public; the right to be lewd, undignified and disrespectful to one’s self; the right to treat one’s self as worthless — while expecting others to see your worth. Let me be clear. I am not suggesting that this is only unacceptable for women. It is unacceptable period. Men don’t get a free pass.
It is interesting that efforts are so focussed on empowering women in our society — and far fewer efforts are being made to empower men when, in my view, men are at the greater risk of marginalisation in our matriarch dominated society. Just take a look at public service in general, the teaching profession, health profession, the private sector, the performance and enrolment in schools and institutions of higher learning — and you will see the female domination. Women are the ones who are more interested in seeking to further their education, advance their careers and become more self-sufficient. Sadly, too many men are content to remain on the fringes, living for the moment, caught in a cycle of “limin” without any thought of laying a good foundation for the future. As with women, this is not true of all men. There are many who are industrious, ambitious and building a legacy that future generations can benefit from. I look forward to them being showcased during this year’s Men’s Week.
As human beings, women and men have an inherent dignity, but they are also inherently different. While our goal must remain equality, and sometimes equity for both genders, we must also seek a greater understanding of those differences and how they affect how we relate to each other. This should assist in reducing stereotypes, eliminating bias, and unravelling ingrained beliefs which are the result of centuries of “conditioning”. This may seem a herculean task, but progress can only be achieved when we face the challenges head on.
