GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Annually International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th, this day is observed in many forms and fashion. It is a time spent acknowledging, reminiscing, honouring and celebrating an array of accomplishments and achievements of women. It is also a time of deep reflection, introspection, and evaluation with respect to what is yet to be done in moving the rights of women forward. Locally we boast of the countless improvements that has been made; nevertheless there is much more work to be done. For example in many organizations women can be seen at helm and holding very influential and managerial positions, as example, the first Prime Minister of Sint Maarten and the First Ombudsman are women. Progress is visible in the education system whereby females are given the opportunity to access higher education and possess high level degrees. Notwithstanding all of that, on the flip side of the coin women still outnumber their male counterpart as being the poorest gender and are unequally compensated for equally performed work. The struggle continues and all efforts must be made to bound together and pull all available resources to strengthen the position of women in the community of Sint Maarten.
In observance of International Women's Day 2014 as we at Women's Desk reflect on the theme "inspiring change", what comes to mind are the "grassroots" the "forgotten women" of our community, the grandmas, aunties, neighbours, community and spiritual mothers and the like, that we come in contact with on a daily basis. Those women, who looked out for, scold, taught, fed, who was always there but was never recognized for the tremendous efforts and contribution they had and would have made in inspiring change by shaping the lives of others and keeping the community together through that true community spirit they possessed and practiced. They really understood the concept of "it took a village to raise a child", putting the people first, and "Ubuntu". Those were the women who had limited resources, yet they fed communities. They had limited education but send children to college. These women in most instances did not darken the halls of a college but they were visionaries, skillful, creative financial planners and managers, community activists, and the adhesive that kept the communities connected. We are convinced if many of us stop for a moment and really reflect - who really inspired change in our lives, made that significant impact and difference in our lives- at the end of it, it would be one of these women that too often than not, we overlook or take for granted. Today we at the Women's Desk say THANK YOU for making that difference, THANK YOU for believing in the good of all, THANK YOU for the inspiration that brought about change in the lives of many. THANK YOU for sharing those values that we are yearning for today. It took a big heart...to care in so many ways. There is much that we learnt and will continuously learn from our "grassroots women".
Yes, we have made significant strides, but as we do so, let us not throw out the baby with the bath water, by being caught up with the prevailing culture of individualism, materialism and consumerism, leaving very little time to care for others even those we have been entrusted with. In inspiring change in 2014 we need to allow these women, those forgotten women to speak to us from there various places and spaces, from the elders homes, from their dementia state, from their wheel chairs, even from the grave. We need to allow values, such as loving our neighbor as self, doing unto others as you would have them do to you, to really be the change agent and that catalyst of change, to be the inspiration that will challenge the popular culture of "self-regard" that wants to take over our land.
It is time for us to listen; listen to those still voices and sometimes stern and firm voices to inform the way we should care and the way we can truly inspire change.
Inspiring change is about caring for others in an unconditional way.
Congratulations to all Women on this International Women's Day.
Women's Desk 'Strengthening the position of women in our society'
