Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Faith Webster, acting executive director of the Bureau of Women's Affairs (right), discusses information from a document with Dr. Imani Tafari Ama, consultant at the bureau. The occasion was a workshop designed to obtain views from stakeholders to assist with the formulation of a national gender policy for Jamaica. This was held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Friday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
IN AN effort to move towards gender equity in Jamaica, the Bureau of Women's Affairs is conducting a series of workshops to assist with the formulation of a National Gender Policy.
The policy is expected to guide the Government's decision regarding equality of the sexes.
Currently, there is a National Policy Statement for Women, which outlines guidelines for achieving better conditions in areas such as social legislation, legal reform, family and economic welfare.
But Faith Webster, acting executive director of the bureau, said the time has come to develop a gender policy which would address issues that are affecting both genders.
FOR OUR BOYS TOO
Citing the University of the West Indies where 70 per cent of its graduates are females, Mrs. Webster said, "While we want our women to do well, we don't want to see our boys left behind and become involved in crime and violence."
She was addressing scores of stakeholders in the public and private sector who participated in a one-day workshop, which was designed to address gender and class issues. The workshop was held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Friday.
Different groups participated in discussions on education and culture, violence and psycho-social health, agriculture and trade and reproductive health and rights/HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, a desk survey, which was commissioned by the bureau to ascertain the status of women and men in Jamaica, revealed that women are still at a disadvantage in the labour market, although they are more likely to seek higher education than men.
The desk survey, which utilised mainly secondary data, also revealed that women are exposed to sexual harassment in the workplace without having legal recourse.
Consultant with the Bureau of Women's Affairs, Dr. Imani Tafari Ama, who conducted the study, told the gathering that more men tend to be placed in infirmaries than women. She noted that this might be the case because of the way that some men treated their families when they were younger.
