Ruth Howard, Programme Manager, WE-Talk For the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence, WMW Jamaica
What do you think is the biggest barrier to achieving true equality, and what steps can, or have you personally taken, to empower more women to claim their rights?
IN many ways, culture remains the weapon with which we maim ourselves and our loved ones. Embedded within both local and global cultures are deeply harmful patriarchal beliefs and negative attitudes towards women – beliefs that have become so normalised they are often invisible, making them incredibly difficult to address. Yet, their existence is undeniable, and their detrimental impact on women is starkly visible across every aspect of our lives.
These negative cultural narratives shape everything from family dynamics and workplace interactions to media representation and policy-making. They manifest in how society perceives women’s roles, the expectations placed on them, and the limitations imposed on their autonomy and choices. Whether through subtle microaggressions or overt discrimination, the insidious nature of misogyny seeps into education, healthcare, employment, politics, and even our everyday interactions.
Identifying, addressing, and transforming these almost obscure yet profoundly misogynistic aspects of culture require unwavering commitment to awareness-raising and education. It calls for intentional efforts to challenge stereotypes, amplify women’s voices, invest in their education and economic empowerment, and create a culture where they are safe and supported. It means rewriting age-old narratives, reshaping norms, and building a culture that fully acknowledges and celebrates women’s right to equity, respect and dignity.
My advocacy and activism focus on helping people recognise how deep-seated cultural beliefs continue to negatively impact women’s lives and livelihoods. I firmly believe in the power of one voice, one teacher, one activist, one woman to create ripples of change that last beyond her lifetime. Much of my time and energy is dedicated to raising awareness and building a community of fellow advocates and changemakers who are committed to transforming these harmful narratives in their everyday lives. In every workshop I lead, every class I teach, each piece of writing I produce or research that I contribute to, my goal is to open another set of eyes and minds to the truth that only through consistent and collective action can we dismantle the cultural constructs at the root of many women’s struggles, and create a world where all women can thrive
Meet Ruth
Ruth Howard is a women’s rights and gender justice advocate/activist who devotes her work and volunteer life to raising awareness of issues affecting women and girls, contributing to gender research, and lobbying for legislative change to prevent and reduce gender-based violence. She works as Programme Manager for WMW Jamaica on the “We-Talk for the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence” project; and as adjunct lecturer with the Institute for Gender & Development Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona.
Ruth is the Jamaica representative on the Caribbean Gender Alliance advisory committee; and digital ambassador, PIE Steering Committee Member and a 2022 Top 50 Rising Voices awardee for World Pulse, a community of women advocates and storytellers from 227 countries. Ruth was part of the team that presented Jamaica’s shadow report at the 86th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). She received the 2022 Governor General’s Achievement Award for Excellence for her humanitarian work on behalf of women and girls in Kingston. She was Jamaica’s 2021 Ubuntu United Nations delegate, training alongside young leaders from 193 countries in human rights, social justice and sustainable development, with the participation of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Ruth also champions creative advocacy and artivism through the spoken and written word.
