News Releases

The UWI commemorates International Men’s Day with Forum on Men Fostering Gender Justice

For Release Upon Receipt - November 14, 2022

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Friday, November 11, 2022—International Men’s Day is recognised annually on November 19. It’s a little-known fact that the observance is a home grown occasion at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), founded in 1999 by Historian, Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, and subsequently adopted globally. Although International Men’s Day may be regarded as controversial due to some groups of men using it to assert male dominance, the University’s Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) is commemorating the day in service to gender justice.

 With this in mind, the Institute will host a Vice-Chancellor’s Forum dedicated to International Men’s Day on Thursday, November 17, 2022. Themed Men Fostering Gender Justice, this virtual forum features a panel of expert gender and human rights activists who will examine gender policies and equality, recognising men who work for gender justice, those who are working to uphold positive models of fatherhood, men who are challenging the harmful norms of rigid gender roles and ideologies and those working to end gender-based violence. It will be broadcasted live via UWItv from 2:00 PM (Eastern Caribbean)/1:00 PM (Jamaica).

 The expert discussants include Tyrone Buckmire, Co-Director, Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic and a Child Rights Activist who has been in the social work fraternity for the past 34 years; Stevan ‘Coach’ Lynn, Founder and CEO, Deeds Driven Dads Inc., The Caribbean Fatherhood Coalition and The Future Fathers Club, whose organisation supports a network of emerging fatherhood initiatives and NGOs through a host of services and training; Glenroy Murray, Executive Director J-FLAG, Law Tutor at The UWI Mona Campus and a well-known social justice and human rights advocate of LGBT rights, women’s rights and youth development in Jamaica and Harish Sadani, Gender Matters Consultant and Founder, Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA) and a leading gender rights activist who has pioneered efforts in India where he works with young men and boys to prevent violence on women.

 The conversation will be moderated by Father Sean Major Campbell, from Christ Church, Vineyard Town, Jamaica, a Human Rights and LGBTI activist, and include remarks from Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, The UWI’s Pro-Vice Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research on behalf of Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as well as Professor Diana J. Fox, newly appointed University Director of The UWI Institute for Gender and Development Studies.

Gender Justice is one of The UWI’s core values, articulated over the past five years in the regional University’s Triple A Strategy. Through the stewardship of the Vice-Chancellor, Beckles as The UWI’s Chief Gender Champion, The UWI and the IGDS are leading the way with The UWI Gender Policy. The Policy states, “The UWI Gender Policy affirms for all the staff, students and other stakeholders of The UWI Community, the fundamental principles of gender equality, gender diversity and non-discrimination based on gender and sexuality in all of the policies, programmes, practices and structures within the University and in its external relationships in the Caribbean region and beyond.”  

 Commenting on the planned commemoration, Professor Fox stated, “International Men’s Day at The UWI and specifically within the IGDS is an opportunity to learn about men’s allyship with women and non-binary persons to achieve equitable and just societies in our region and for men working toward gender justice to support one another. A gender-just society is one without gender-related asymmetries of access to or allocation of and control over status, power and material resources—this is what we strive for at the IGDS, and we welcome everyone to join us to learn about men who share our mission at the IGDS—and to get involved!”

 Interested persons are invited to tune in and participate at www.uwitv.org  or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/uwitv.

 END.

 

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

 About The UWI Vice-Chancellor's Forums

In 2016, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles initiated a series of public discussions, titled “Vice-Chancellor's Forums". The ongoing series seeks to bring together regional academics and experts to discuss and offer informed analysis, perspective and context to important political, social and economic developments in the region.

 About the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS)

The Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) is an autonomous unit located in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor of the University and is not attached to any faculty. This underlines its relevance to all disciplines and facilitates collaboration with all faculties. The IGDS consists of a Regional Co-ordinating Office (RCO) located on The University of the West Indies’ Mona Campus, and three Campus Units — at Cave Hill, Barbados (Nita Barrow Unit); at Mona, Jamaica (Mona Campus Unit); and at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago (St. Augustine Unit).

 

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.

 From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

For more, visit www.uwi.edu

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