Dear Editor,

As we celebrate women internationally, it is important to note that despite the progress that Jamaican women have made over the years, there is much that remains to be done at all levels of our society. We lose generations of young girls and women to poverty and lack of opportunity which breeds reliance on not only dons or “the big man” but any man willing to provide economically for “a yout”. The prevalence of this dependency results in too many pregnancies, too many children uncared for and without proper role models who then, if boys, seek to become the don or the “big man” – their unenlightened model of success and power; and if girls, simply perpetuate the cycle of poverty and dependence.

The relevant socio-political issues have always been and undoubtedly remain complex, but fundamentally I believe this is the heart of our cycle of crime and violence: the loss of girls and boys to poverty and lack of opportunity – children who experience violence too early and who never know guidance or love; children of mothers who could not see their way to better opportunities; children without the presence of fathers. While interventions for children are undeniably important, I believe that if we are to break the cycle that literally gives birth to these children, interventions for women are absolutely necessary. For if women are society’s primary caregivers and conveyers of values and attitudes, is there any anti-crime or development strategy that can sustainably succeed without the empowerment of women?

It is in this context that I believe that the National Gender Policy and the Way Out project, both launched by Minister Grange on International Women’s Day, are particularly important for us in Jamaica. The project, funded by UNIFEM, will be implemented by the government through the Bureau of Women’s Affairs and the Dispute Resolution Foundation, and is geared at enabling the economic and political empowerment of women. The project is also aligned with the IWD 2011 theme: “Education and Training; Decent Work for Women” in that education, training and opportunities for decent work will lay down a path to economic empowerment of our young girls and women, who will then be able to pass on, strengthen and perpetuate better values in their sons and daughters.

Among the benefits I anticipate is our women’s empowerment to make better decisions in terms of choice of partner and family planning so that fewer children will fall through society’s cracks. The National Gender Policy, geared at mainstreaming gender issues in all aspects of national policy, the Way Out project which will support implementation of the policy, and our adoption of the IWD theme for 2011 must all be seen as important steps to the correction of our nation’s social dysfunctions. They should be recognised for their importance and supported by all Jamaicans.

Senator Kamina Johnson Smith

kejohnsonsmith@gmail.com