Dear Editor,

The recent celebration of International Women’s Day should give us cause for reflection. Women are described as beautiful, powerful, creative, intelligent, and are lauded on that day, but soon after all the excitement of the celebration is over we have to face reality.

Our day should not be a celebration, it should, instead, be the moment for us to highlight that we still have so much to achieve in terms of rights and dignity.

In 2020 we are still beaten up, raped, violated, and struggle to gain the same recognition and pay as men.

In some countries women cannot study, cannot work, do not have legal rights, and face an uphill battle to care for their children.

The recent surge in the number of women killed by their partners highlights that we have much work to do in Jamaica. These cases of intimate partner violence occurred in a context where a woman should feel love and protected.

For many women in situations of abuse within their relationships with their male partners, the toxic poison of male supremacy and the culture of male dominance has been so internalised that they continue to enable the abuse by saying, “He beats me up because he loves me.”

We need to teach our men that violence and aggression have nothing to do with the concept of love. Love is something else; it is built day by day with reciprocal respect, understanding, and dialogue.

In Jamaica so many women grow their children alone, so many women have to leave school because of early pregnancy, and so many live on the edges of society, constantly fighting for survival.

Images of women in skimpy clothes and sitting on powerful motorbikes are portrayed in the media as female role models, highlighting their beauty and sexual appeal. What about our brain, heart, and soul? It is a shame that women continue to be represented by these belittling stereotypes.

Today we stand, today we ask why are we still waiting on robust legislation against domestic abuse? We ask, where are the women shelters? We ask why are we not free to choose if we are ready for maternity? We wish to know why so many fathers can escape their parental duties and their financial support to their children.

Carla Gullotta Executive Director  Stand Up for Jamaicasufjmedia2@gmail.com

This is what International Women’s Day is for; to advocate for ourselves.

Yes, we are beautiful, but we want to be recognised for our talents and strengths, and we will lobby every day for our equal rights.