A long time ago, I had a discussion—maybe an argument—with a newspaper editor about what constituted “soft” news. He thought that issues affecting women were soft, and should be relegated to pages headed by labels that suggested they were for women only. Instinctively, I rejected that. It seemed to me …
Read More »Vaneisa: Open the gates—the trouble with the world
In Afghanistan, under such bitterly cold conditions that more than a hundred have perished, the Taliban has kept its focus sharply on repressing women. The economy has shrunk, but the forces are hell bent on keeping women restricted from public activities. No to education; no to certain jobs, no to …
Read More »How T&T courts fail dependent spouses and jeopardise mental health of families
“[…] Access to justice is a human right and divorce is a basic exercise in access to justice. For many women, divorce is the only means by which to escape domestic violence or financial subjugation at the hands of a spouse. “[…] Adjournments or no shows of judges prolong the …
Read More »PNM NWL: UNC’s attack on PM’s wife is repugnant, reprehensible and a new low
“[…] Having failed on more than one occasion to besmirch the good name of the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has let loose Senator Anil Roberts to attack the good name and reputation of the Honourable Prime Minister’s wife. “[…] Whilst politicians expect to be attacked by their opponents …
Read More »Noble: ‘She made me do it’—T&T society is taught to distrust women; we see the bloody results
The news was blunt but not unexpected. The lead sentences (Express, 9 December 2021) calmly reported, ‘Shadie Dassrath was beaten to death in an apartment in La Romaine last Friday morning. An autopsy done on the body of the 31-year woman found she died of blunt force trauma and sustained …
Read More »Demming: Griffith’s low jibe at interviewer epitomises T&T’s lowered bar for public discourse
In a recent media interview, the interviewee was asked this very direct question: ‘Have you ever accepted a bribe for a firearm?’ Gary Griffith, former commissioner of police, former government minister, former senator, former captain in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force who is now husband, father and private citizen, …
Read More »Noble: A long way to go! T&T women clearly ‘still in the clutches of misogynistic men’
There was an advertising slogan, ‘You’ve come a long way, Baby!’, in the late 60s that reflected the rising empowerment of women. By the early 80s, a board including two men, inspired by Radhica Saith, ran the first local Halfway House for Battered Women. Thirty years ago, this week, our …
Read More »Deconstructing monogamy: Why Wired868’s ‘Outside Woman’ is ahead of the game—like the Greek Hetairae
First, the disclaimer. Disabuse yourself of the assumption I am against marriage and monogamy. You could not be further from the truth. I’m not only a veteran in the practice, I shared some supportive insight on how to do monogamy successfully; with eyes wide open, realistic expectations and cost/benefit ratio …
Read More »Demming: Gov’t must act on sexual harrassment and gender-based violence
Womantra and 2Cents movement have both survived firestorms of social media criticism that they allegedly mishandled accusations of either sexual harassment, gender-based violence or sexual grooming perpetrated by persons in positions of leadership. Ironically, both organisations are engaged in much-needed work that can fundamentally change our cultural landscape, but they …
Read More »Dear Editor: Women must point the way to sustainable progress
“[…] Demand, by collective action, radical, positive, permanent change. And that change is not just around gender-based violence, but in every community and institution in the land, be it the legal, political or social system … “[…] Who must decide what is progress and the sustainable road to such? I …
Read More »PLOTT: ‘More aggressive and holistic approach’ needed to address violence against women and children
“[…] While we recognise the gains made with amendments to The Domestic Violence Act and the establishment of a Gender-based Violence Unit in the TTPS, the continuing scourge of violence against women and children requires a more aggressive and holistic approach from those in authority. “We are reminded that the …
Read More »Sex education, gender policy and pepper spray; Womantra’s wish-list to address gender-based violence
“[…] Amend, implement, and budget for the National Gender Policy. A formalised multi-sectoral approach to awareness raising, prevention and accountability must be applied to all aspects of gender-equality, including gender-based violence. “These interventions should include private and state actors, communities, etc…” The following is a press statement from Womantra, which …
Read More »