Breaking the Glass Ceiling
by Marcia Erskine
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“Our mission statement included men and that is even more critical now as we speak of the marginalization of men. We did extensive research about women in relation to men, captured information on the similarities and differences in how men and women experience the world—all critical data in plotting our development”, she explains.
Elsa Leo-Rhynie notes that at the time of the Centre’s development, “there were few women in the upper echelons of the UWI hierarchy at Mona save for pioneers like Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof. Marlene Hamilton and UWI Librarian Albertina Jefferson. There were few women professors and most academic women were concentrated at the Lecturer and Assistant Lecturer levels. Men were predominant at the Professorial and Senior Lecturer levels and in all other areas of leadership—it was a patriarchal institution.”
Since the establishment of the CGDS there have been significant changes in that status quo. In fact, according to official UWI statistics, the ratio of male to female full-time academic and senior administrative staff has changed from 620 men to 236 women in 1989/1990 (almost 3 men to each woman) to 833 men to 585 women (less than 2 men to each woman) in 2004/2005. The numbers of women who are now Senior Lectures and Professors have also increased.
“Some say it was just a matter of time for women to catch up, that they were waiting in the wings and have now come into their own”, Elsa Leo-Rhynie reports modestly. But the role of the Centre in empowering women at UWI, has been significant.
She is particularly proud of the many members of that initial visionary group who have assumed leadership positions within and outside of the academy. In the years since the establishment of the CGDS, the initial Heads of Units at Cave Hill (Eudine Barriteau), Mona (Pat Mohammed) and St. Augustine (Rhoda Reddock) have all earned tenure as Professors at the University, as has the University Director of the Regional Coordinating Unit, Professor Barbara Bailey. There are more female Heads of Departments across the institution today and Elsa Leo-Rhynie says she is “always very proud when our women are assessed for professorial appointments. The standard and quality of their applications are always very high—it’s like they wait until they are absolutely ready before putting in their applications and their performance is an inspiration and example to young women in the academy and elsewhere.”
For all that, when Elsa Leo-Rhynie was offered the post of Deputy Principal in 1996 her initial reaction was “no way”. That reaction was immediately countered by a female colleague who said, “What! You have to do it. You keep saying that women don’t advance at UWI. Now you have an opportunity, you cannot refuse.”
The collegiality of the “group” propelled and sustained her in this new position and she has maintained close contact with the Centre, taking pride in significant milestones including work with and presentations to national agencies and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the introduction of additional courses and programmes and a minor in Gender Studies. Preparatory work towards a major in Gender Studies is well underway. She has high praise for Professor Barbara Bailey, University Director of the CGDS for her leadership and the work done by the Centre.
To those who assume that the Centre is only for and about women, Elsa Leo-Rhynie says, “Look Again!” She explains:
“We were initially focused on women but from the beginning we looked also at gender differences. We’ve analyzed the statistics. We’ve hosted seminars on masculinity and constructing masculinity. We’ve supported work on parenting, on fathering. We embrace a total, holistic concept of gender and cannot be fairly accused of being only focused on women.”
A number of distinguished male UWI academics—Barry Chevannes, Mark Figueroa, Errol Miller—conduct research which is welcomed by the Centre and Elsa Leo-Rhynie notes, “we have scores of male students and graduates who have indicated that our programmes have helped them in their jobs, including a number from the police and the military. ”
She feels strongly that her accession to the post of first female Principal at UWI Mona in February 2006, was directly related to the work of the Centre in engendering a facilitating environment for women at UWI, as well as nationally, regionally and internationally.
That work, she says, has resulted in increased awareness of the value and role of women in society, the development of female role models in leadership, and strengthened capacity in organizations where gender issues can now be discussed professionally, not just emotionally.
Now in retirement as Principal of UWI Mona, Elsa Leo-Rhynie is far from “retired” as she continues to lend her considerable knowledge, expertise and experience to select projects. She and the committed group of women who started the WDS groups 25 years ago participated in and catalyzed a range of dramatic social changes that are now so accepted that they can easily go unnoticed by people whose lives they have utterly changed. Indeed, many who have lived through recent decades of this process have come to accept blithely what has transpired and younger people, for the most part, cannot believe life was ever otherwise.
But, all who journeyed with her know and concur that Elsa Leo-Rhynie made a difference!
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