Nashauna Drummond, Staff Reporter
Psychiatrist Dr. Wendel Abel (left), Ann Marie Bonner, social scientist Dr. Leith Dunn and attorney-at-law Nancy Anderson are all smiles after the Woman Inc. Seminar on 'Perspective on emerging sexual activities in Jamaica'. This was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, on Monday, February 13. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
IN PROMOTING the welfare of Jamaican women, Woman Inc., held a seminar titled 'perspectives on emerging Sexual activities in Jamaica', at the Talk of the Town Pegasus Hotel last Monday.
CHILLING TALES
Senior counsellor at Woman Inc., Loreen McFarlane presented two tapes focusing on domestic abuse and incest. The tales the victims told were chilling. Ms. McFarlane encouraged mothers to listen to their children as in the cases of incest some mothers' first reaction is to not believe the child. "If a mother doesn't understand who do you expect to?" she said. In closing she said, "In a society that couldn't care less we are to be a people who couldn't care more."
REFRAME
The electrifying presentation by guest speaker, psychiatrist Dr. Wendel Abel had the audience feeling empowered.
Dr. Abel's powerpoint presentation focused on 'enhancing your performance." He had a very participatory audience as he explained the practical steps in enhancing your performance in every sphere of life.
He began by noting that life is 10 per cent what happens to you and 90 per cent how you respond, which includes your thinking and behaviour. He said that we need to reprogramme ourselves to be successful. He quoted II Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." He outlined the five steps to enhancing our performance.
BE AWARE OF THOUGHTS
* Eliminate negative thinking: This prevents us from moving forward as, focusing on the negative discounts the positive. He notes that the happiness of life depends on the quality of life, and sometimes we just need to pause and reflect on our blessings instead of making mountains out of molehills. He also noted that sometimes we engage in unfavourable comparisons.
* Replace negative thoughts. Adversities are a fact of life; what we control is how we think and react. It's OK to fail at times. We should see these as learning opportunities.
* Create positive thinking. 'If you keep on doing what you've always been doing you'll get what you've always been getting.
* Take action. You have to change yourself, think and act outside the box, don't sweat the small stuff, think of the bigger picture. Let go of the past and forgive.
TRAFFICKING
After such an awe-inspiring presentation women were made aware of more issues that affect them based on their gender.
Ann Marie Bonner, of the Cabinet Task Force focusing on trafficking, notes that it's a growing global phenomenon. Trafficking defined as, "modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labour or sexual exploitation," of which women and children are usually the victims. Trafficking takes place across national borders and within a country. She noted that in Jamaica the precise scope of the situation is not known and, that it is hard to recognise victims as no- one is coming forward. Though no legislation exists to address specifically the issue of trafficking, there are other laws that could apply."
Attorney-at-law Nancy Anderson reiterates that no law exists for trafficking and prostitution. Persons are protected in some ways under the Offences Against the Persons Act and The Town and Communities Act.
(Trafficking definition from website: http://www. sflifeandjustice.org/Human%20Trafficinking.html)
