Dear Editor,
Often classified among the minority, the Caribbean woman has always been perceived as the subordinate, and our roles traditional: homemakers.
Despite the revolutionary movement for women’s rights and the establishment of women and gender equality commissions within Caricom, to ensure that women are included in developmental policies, our women folk continue to be stifled.
We have allowed our history during indentureship and slavery to define us, we have allowed societal expectations to shape our actions, thus we continue to stay in abusive relationships, we confine ourselves to jobs that give no room for advancement, and seemingly show that we are comfortable with just a high school diploma because we believe or rather society wants us to believe that our efforts will never amount to anything more than being second best.
However, the ideology, the stigma, the expectations that we must only be good for roles that involve picking up after men, offering sexual services that must be satisfactory to the male or taking care of the household has changed.
Women are now competing equally in male-dominated professions, managing organizations and making “Boss moves”.
But our empowerment is limited. The limitations to us and by us ,have come from us .
Confused? Don’t be!
The support we get from our sisters is also limited to how they see themselves: their experiences and battles with societal expectations. The envy, greed and suppression faced often comes from the woman.
Even within organizations that lobby women empowerment, our women folk are suppressed and talked about, and this is no assumption!
So how do we lift our Caribbean woman, how do we give her wings? GD Anderson said
“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are always strong. It’s about changing the ways the world perceives that strength “….. and it begins with us: that little network of women who can provide a shoulder, the sister that listens and advises, that girl next door who shares the opportunity for a new business venture are all tools of empowerment.
As women we need to collaboratively raise the status of our sisters through literacy, awareness, training, education, self development and support against abuse.
We can’t expect our men to lead the way, to offer support, to uplift and appreciate us when we can’t do it ourselves.
Yours faithfully,
Atika Stephens
