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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 19 MARCH, 2017
EVENTS
MARKINGWOMEN’S DAY
with a call to bold action
The theme of International Women’s Day 2017
,
commemorated onMarch 8, was #BeBoldForChange.
This was an important call given the challenges which
still exist to full gender equality and equity around the
world and region. In the Caribbean, recent reports
suggest that too many women remain vulnerable to
interpersonal violence and too few are represented at
the highest levels of political and economic decision-
making.
Aiming for Planet 50-50 by 2030 is therefore a bold
and ambitious agenda requiring shifts to labour and
power in the domestic sphere as well as in public life.
For example, theWorld Economic Forumpredicts that,
at the current rate of progress, the gender gap across
health, education, economy and politics won’t close
entirely until 2186. We won’t achieve key sustainable
development goals at this pace.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the IGDS, UWI St.
Augustine collaborated with two dozen other civil
society and corporate organisations, as well as the
Office of the Prime Minister (Gender and Child
Affairs) andUNWomen, to organise a Life in Leggings
solidarity march, which simultaneously took place on
March 11 in Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad
and Tobago, Dominica, The Bahamas, Guyana, and
Jamaica. Life in leggings is a movement begun by
two young women from Barbados to break silences
around, especially, young women’s experiences of
sexual violence of all kinds, from child sexual abuse
to street and workplace harassment.
The IGDS also collaborated with I95.5 to
share messages across radio that would both raise
consciousness about women’s rights as well as call
for communities to recognise leaders for gender
equality in our midst. Statements broadcast included:
“wherever they are, women have a right to be safe”;
“the home isn’t just women’s responsibility, share
the care”; “if a woman says no, walk away, sexual
relations need consent”; “The state is responsible for
upholding women’s rights. You can hold public officials
accountable”; and “Let’s honour women who are the
strength of our communities”. These signaled the
commonsense nature of gender equality, and women’s
rights as everyone’s responsibility.
As Dr Gabrielle Hosein, Head of the IGDS
reflected, “The UWI is a key site for teaching another
generation those skills which they can put toward
Caribbean transformation.We have a leadership role to
play in advancing women’s rights and gender equality,
and continue to collaboratively and collectively
encourage our nation and region to be bold for change.”
Pounding the pavement: Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago taking part in the Life in Leggings march.
PHOTOS: YEHUDI WALTERS
