Working towards gender equality

Owen Blakka Ellis

So massah Owen is back at it and bowls off with this piece today:

Contributed Blakka Ellis (second left) and Ava-Gail Gardner from Jamaica are flanked by Dr Tracie Rogers (left) and Mark Lawrence (right) from Trinidad & Tobago.

Howdy, peeps! What a gwaan with you? Or to be more pointed, what's currently popping in your box? Me, I'm here 'boxing' you from the beautiful Spice Isles Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean.

And although I'm admittedly having somewhat of an exhilarating time, I'm not on a vacation. In fact, now that I think about it, it's really interesting how many parts of th world I've visited in my over half-century of existence, and I have never ever really had a vacation. Vacation? I don't even know wah name so - but that is a different 'bickle' for a different box.

I'm really here for work. And I have often heard that if you work on the stuff you're really passionate about, then work won't feel like work. Frankly, that is true for me. This is still work, though - definitely difficult, but relevant and rewarding work around gender.

Yes, friends. I am here engaged in discussions and activities around one of my favourite topics, intellectually and emotionally grappling around in the old gender box. I'm enjoying a vibrant and vital learning experience as one of several participants in a training-of-trainers programme for Caribbean gender advocates.

The participants are diverse. We are men and women from a fairly wide range of ages, and from very different social, spiritual ,and professional backgrounds - artists, activists, attorneys, teachers, social workers, and more - from about nine different countries in the region. What we all share is a commitment to and a common interest in expanding our understanding of the complexities, contradictions, and manifestations that arise from the different gender boxes that we inherit and inhabit.

So, we are involved in some exciting interrogations and critical reflections on social justice, power, privilege, and subconscious biases. We are exploring key concepts related to gender and the idea of gender equality. We're also analysing ideas around masculinities and femininities. Yes, the pluralisation is deliberate because in case you never realized it, there is a range of different expressions of masculinity and femininity depending on generational, geographical, cultural, and other factors.

GENDER JUSTICE

The overarching purpose of our work, of course, is to contribute to the important objective of achieving gender justice and eradicating all forms of gender-based violence. And, as you and I [and all of us who're willing to admit the truth] know, gender-based violence is a serious problem all over the world. And whether it takes the form of bullying, harassment, domestic abuse, or rape, etc., the victims are mostly women and girls.

The four-day training workshop has been organised by United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - also known as UN Women - in collaboration with the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives and is part of the 'HeForShe' initiative. What name so? Well, according to a handout on the initiative, HeForShe is a global solidarity movement for gender equality that engages men and boys to work in partnership with women and girls as advocates and stakeholders to break the silence, raise their voices, and take action for the achievement of gender equality.

The movement aims at enabling men to identify with the issues of gender equality and to recognize the important role we can play towards ending the persistent and pervasive inequality faced by women and girls worldwide.

Yeah, bro! Woman is our mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. So I'm definitely a 'he' who's proud to be standing in solidarity and working in harmony with 'she'. Wah yuh a say? Yuh nuh come join hands with 'we'?

box-mi-back@hotmail.com

Protect & Promote Human Rights, Economic and Social Justice for All Jamaicans Petition

sign the petition Here

The Road Towards Sustainable Development: A National Focus on Human Rights, Economic and Social Justice

Equality, justice, and protection are essential to growth and development; Jamaica’s National Development Plan (Vision 2030) was developed on this premise. The Plan recognizes the importance of inclusion given our diversity as a people has been dubbed by said Plan as one of our national strengths. We live in a Jamaica that is affected by economic and social injustices, where there is inadequate protection for the rights of all people without prejudice and discrimination, regardless of economic status, religion, gender identity, place of origin, sex and sexual orientation, ability, age, health or any other status. We also live in a society where there is inadequate protection for the environment on which we depend for sustenance.

J-FLAG is therefore calling on the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP) to consider the following human rights, economic and social justice issues as critical matters that must be addressed by the next government as part of efforts to achieve Vision 2030.
Empower People with Disability (PWD) to Achieve Their Fullest Potential and Fully Contribute to and Benefit from Jamaica’s Development in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcome 2 and Social Development Goals 1, 3, 4, & 8
Enhance the Lives of Retired Persons, the Elderly and their Families in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcomes 1 & 3 and Social Development Goals 1 & 3

Reduce Stigma and Discrimination and Protect and Promote the Rights of the Most Vulnerable and Marginalized within the Jamaican Society in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 2, Outcomes 5 & 6 and Social Development Goals 5, 8, 10 & 11

Reduce the Number of Children and Youth Living and Working on the Streets by Half in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcome 3 and Goal 2, Outcome 5 and Social Development Goals 1 & 3

Reduce Income Inequality and Secure Economic Justice for All Jamaicans in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcome 3 and Social Development Goals 1, 5, 8 & 10
Protect the Rights of Children, Youth and Adults who Come in Conflict with the Law in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 2, Outcome 5 and Social Development Goal 16
Address Homelessness and Protect the Rights and Well-Being of People who are Displaced and Homeless in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcome 3 and Goal 2, Outcome 5 and Social Development Goals 1 & 3
Protect the Human and Civil Rights of LGBT Jamaicans in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 1, Outcome 2 and Goal 2, Outcome 5 and Social Development Goals 3, 4 &16
Create and Strengthen National Mechanisms to Facilitate the Enjoyment of Rights in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 2, Outcomes 5 & 6 and Social Development Goal 16
Promote Environmental Protection as a National Priority in accordance with Vision 2030 Goal 4, Outcomes 13, 14 & 15 and Social Development Goals 2, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15

J-FLAG is calling on the next administration to commit to economic and social justice for all Jamaicans guided by a human rights framework toward achieving sustainable development. We cannot achieve Vision 2030 if the state, the Opposition, civil society, and our people do not work cooperatively and collectively to reduce and eliminate all forms of inequalities. Vision 2030 will only be achievable when there is adequate protection, consideration, coverage, access and empowerment for our people to achieve their full potential. 

We cannot continue to marginalize parts of the society, and we cannot continue to engage in business and personal activities that contribute to the degradation of the natural environment. We are aware that this cannot only be the responsibility of the next administration, but will require partnerships. We are calling on both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party to declare their unwavering and actionable commitment to equality for all and for environmental protection. If we action this commitment, we will improve lives, families and businesses, and preserve the environment for future generations.

The organisation is willing to work with the next administration and all stakeholders and partners to action these recommendations.

You may read the full call to action here: https://goo.gl/9HUfTS 

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