Who does violence against women affect? Everyone. We invite you, your team, network and community to join us on March 8, International Women’s Day as we discuss… Read more “LoveNotLicks”
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Anatomy of a Protest
On Friday 12th February 2016, over 100 women and men gathered at Woodford Square to protest the statements made by the Port of Spain Mayor – Raymond… Read more “Anatomy of a Protest”
Ladies Not So Free
Nightclubs that advertise “ladies free” are actually using women as part of the experience they are selling to (heterosexual) men whom they perceive as their legitimate customers. This is the reason men are expected to pay and “ladies” are admitted “free”. It is neither an act of feminist benevolence nor discrimination against men that club owners have such policies. Such policies aid in heterosexualizing public spaces and reinforcing the notion that ALL women should be sexually available to men.
The Feminisation of HIV refers to the increasing prevalence of HIV among women worldwide and the ways in which gender discrimination – both social and institutional- contribute to women’s increased vulnerability to HIV infection.
In the Caribbean, women make up 53% of the population living with HIV. And young women between the ages of 15-24 have three to six times higher incidence of HIV than young men the same age range.
High rates of violence against women; poverty and economic dependence on men; early sexual initiation, multiple partners and cultural attitudes regarding relationships and sexual behaviour; and inadequate access to reproductive health services, all contribute to the increasing incidence of HIV among Caribbean women.
Another feature of the feminsation of HIV in the Caribbean is the predominance of women’s role in ‘care’ responsibilities for family members and others in the community who have HIV and AIDS.
This short documentary titled “Invisible: Children living with HIV” by Elspeth Duncan, shows the social, financial and psychological challenges that HIV presents not just for HIV infected mothers but for their children as well.
How can understanding the nature and impact of gender inequality in the Caribbean help us address the feminsation of HIV in our region?
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Women Of Antigua is a group of women who use the performing arts and theatre to raise awareness about issues of violence against women. Created in 2008 as a response to the increasing reports of rape in Antigua, the group which comprises 4 women – Linisa George, Thomasine Greenaway, Zahra Airall and Greschen Edwards – donate all the proceeds from their productions to women’s groups in Antigua.
The video is directed and edited by Floree Williams, information compiling was done by Joanne Hillhouse and video production by Jon Whyte.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
What is the big deal about Gender Affairs
On Friday 11th September, 2015 when the new Ministers of Government of Trinidad and Tobago were announced, there was a noticeable absence of the Gender Affairs Ministry.… Read more “What is the big deal about Gender Affairs”
It can be challenging for young Women’s NGOs to find their footing. A great way to avoid some of the pitfalls is to learn from others. The WomenSpeak Project is piloting a workshop that will encourage Women’s NGOs in their nascent years to come together to share experiences and learn key principles around building a solid foundation for accomplishing their work. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested please share this introductory video and drop me a line at womenspeakproject(at)gmail.com.
I am disturbed
I have gotten used to men looking at me, sometimes openly, sometimes from the corners of their eyes when they think I cannot see them. It is sad, but I am used to leering, to staring, to muffled laughter, to uninvited touching while walking into dark rooms or down well lit streets. It’s…
More Women Need to Learn to Say NO!
Sounds simple doesn’t it? But that’s how insidious gender conditioning and gender scripts can be. The woman… yields. The man….pursues…. and pursues… until the woman yields. And we grow up believing that this is the way it is supposed to me. In the old movies, the woman spurs the man but then he grabs her and kisses her. And she yields. And it’s played as romantic. The woman who doesn’t want to dance with the guy is being a ‘witch’,as if the role of the woman is always to protect the man’s ego. Smile when he makes a sneering comment about your body.
It’s the way women are taught how to be good, acceptable. And being ‘good’ is a particular burden women face. The ‘bad woman’ is the source of all that is wrong with society; from delinquent kids to deadbeat dads, to being murdered by your husband/boyfriend.
This is why the girl doesn’t know if she’s been raped. Because she said ‘no’. But she didn’t fight. And she said ‘I don’t want to do this’ but she still let her boyfriend take off her clothes. And in the end the story will be told that this proves she really wanted it. Or at the least, it wasn’t that bad.
You don’t have to be good. You don’t have to be nice. And you are not alone. And it is not your fault.
Call to Action: Everyone has a right to be
Call to Action: Everyone has a right to be
Click link to sign on! Please reblog!
The CatchAFyah Caribbean Feminist Network* wants you to stand with us in calling on all CARICOM governments to join the Government of Haiti in collectively and publicly denouncing transphobic and homophobic violence such as that which claimed the lives of 17 year-old Dwayne Jones in Jamaica, two persons in Haiti and countless more before them.
This is, of course, not the first time that Haiti has shown revolutionary leadership in the region. We draw on our collective history of freedom struggle as we call on our elected leaders to make visible and concrete commitments to ensuring that the Caribbean’s future is one of justice and equity for all.
While our leaders have special responsibility, the work of transforming Caribbean societies is the responsibility of all of us. We call on all CARICOM citizens to stand with us in recognizing that each and every one of us has a right to be and a right to a life free of violence. We join other organisations such as:
CVC COIN, Jamaican’s For Justice, Quality of Citizenship Jamaica, CARIFLAGS, KOURAJ, Caribbean DAWN and SeroVie which have released statements denouncing the most recent acts of transphobic and homophobic violence in the region.
We invite women’s, men’s, feminist, LGBT and social justice organisations to commit to collectively doing one action on August 19, 2013 to honour lives lost to violence in the region (in all its forms) and to celebrate the lives of all Caribbean people as we continue to work toward transforming our societies.