Most of us would have heard of gender equality and mainstreaming at some point in our lives. Some of us would have even held discussions amongst our peers and within our social circles. Few of us, however, may have taken action towards achieving gender equality and or mainstreaming. Gender equality as defined by the United Nations, is the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men, and girls and boys, within our society. Further, gender equality addresses the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men and takes into considerations that both men and women have differing needs. Gender Mainstreaming on the other hand, ensures that policy-making and legislative work are relevant and inclusive for our society. As such, gender mainstreaming requires an inclusive hands-on approach and should be implemented across all spectra of our society: at home, churches, schools, governmental bodies and within the private sector. Yes, gender mainstreaming is your individual responsibility and is not only dependent on government bodies.
While we have seen improvements in Anguilla where both public and private entities have taken steps to address gender issues, there is still much to be done. As individuals, we each have a role to play to ensure that our community is an oasis that is gender-inclusive – catering to each of our needs in a positive and supportive way. There are several steps that we can each employ to safeguard this oasis:
1. The usage of gender sensitive language
It is critical that we examine our written and spoken (verbal and non-verbal) language when we interact with each other. Some of our colloquial terms may be offensive to others and may even cause hurt to someone we care about when we use them loosely. Examples of these include terms we use to describe our women, men, young girls and young boys: ‘bastard’, ‘gyal’ or ‘don’t cry like a girl’. Further, the use of gender neutral terms for describing roles usually ascribed to men and are now occupied by women is an important step: thus using the term “police officer” as opposed to “policeman” or “chairperson” as opposed to “chairman.”
2. Equal access to services and information
Both men and women should be able to equally have access to services and information. As such, proper analysis of the needs of men and women should be taken into consideration. Care should be given to respective needs of men and women to ensure that there are no barriers to accessing services and information. Public and private entities have an obligation, in this regard, to identifying their target markets, whether they are men, women or both – and carefully surveying their services and products to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the respective audience. In addition, each of us should hold our public and private entities to account wherever we see shortfalls.
3. The involvement of Men and Women in Decision-making
We have seen significant strides in Anguilla, with our women leading public and private entities. There is also an increase in the number of women elected to parliament. This should be celebrated and embraced at all levels in our society. Many years ago, women were not even allowed to vote much less present themselves as viable candidates for elected office. Notwithstanding these advances for women, it is also critical that our boys and men are not maligned. With the shift in focus on our girls, oftentimes our boys are left out of the conversation and we have seen evidence of lower representation from the male demographic. One only needs to look at the rate of enrolment of our men at the tertiary level of education or even their involvement in community service organisations. The process must be balanced with equal opportunities for both men and women. Challenge a young boy or girl today to join a youth group, introduce a youth to educational opportunities or, if you are responsible for a public or private entity, create an opportunity to empower the men and women in your organisation.
4. Increased gender awareness in our social environment
Creating awareness and ensuring that gender equality is at the forefront of conversations are important strategies in addressing gender issues. Arming ourselves with relevant and factual data is critical, and allows for the sharing of key information that can advance our mission of having a gender balanced society. Constant engagement with each other, and addressing fears and concerns will assist in bridging the gaps and reducing barriers that currently exist in our community.
Having a more just and equal society can only lead to an improved way of living: men and women benefitting from services and information that increase their quality of living. This is not an illusion and can be achieved with each of us playing our part. Gender mainstreaming efforts can lead to a change in policies, legislation, advocacy and strategic approaches. It is for these reasons each of us should endeavour to adapt our thinking, attitude and behaviour so that our actions are aligned with and support gender equality. It is in everyone’s interest that we do so now.
At the Gender Affairs Unit, we value input from our community stakeholders. As such, we invite contributors to our column -The Gender Perspective. For more information, please contact Ms. Kemoloy Murphy, Gender Development Coordinator (Ag) at Kemoloy.murphy@gov.ai or via 497-3930 ext. 3505
