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Message from the University Director, IGDS he years 2013 and 2014 mark major milestones in the The establishment and growth of the IGDS would not workers, economists, history of the Institute for Gender & Development have been possible without the dedicated work of activists, trained educators at the TStudies. They will be celebrated as the 20th scholars and scholar-activists, women (including the primary, secondary and anniversary of the critical and path-breaking decision in the foremothers Peggy Antrobus, Barbara Bailey, Kathleen tertiary levels, novelists, Academic Year 1993/94 to facilitate the transition from the Drayton, Marlene Hamilton, Elsa Leo-Rhynie, Joycelyn journalists, trade Women and Development Studies Project (WDS) to the Massiah, Lucille Mathurin Mair and Hermione McKenzie), unionists, newspaper establishment of a Centre for Gender & Development and men (e.g., Zabbar Ali, Hilary Beckles, Lloyd Brathwaite, founders; civil rights Studies (now an autonomous Institute), with Units at the John Campbell, Barry Chevannes, Hamid Farabi, Mark activists, philanthropists, Mona, Cave Hill and St Augustine campuses of the Figueroa, Barry Higman, Linden Lewis, Alister McIntyre, Rex poets, diplomats, entrepreneurs, social workers, historians, University of the West Indies. I am proud to see how far we Nettleford) and so many others, inside and outside of the sociologists, political scientists, nurses and so much more. have come since then as I was there in the trenches working formal UWI system, who either facilitated the development of But whatever their philosophy and disciplinary training, they with the many women of the WDS Groups that lobbied for the IGDS through their administrative decisions, or, through are/were all united around the issues of human rights, about 11 years for the establishment of the Centre in order to their teaching, public speeches and writings, developed a gender justice and the fight to end colonialism/neo- get gender on the agenda. body of work that advanced gender discourses nationally, colonialism, classism, sexism and racism. I continue to learn Over the last 20 years, these Units have together regionally and internationally. They span generations, but from, and be inspired by them. developed their Mission, Vision and Strategy, aligned with each generation has learnt from the previous one and There is much more to be done to mainstream gender those of the wider UWI, that seek to ensure that the ideal advanced the field of gender studies. and recognize the tremendous output of the IGDS, but may graduate will not only have a desire for knowledge, strong This 2-year calendar highlights just a sample of these the work and lives of those we have highlighted inspire the critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but also “gender warriors” from across the Caribbean, without whom current students and staff in the IGDS as well as all those competence in interdisciplinary gender analysis that will the IGDS would have been just a shadow of itself and the interested in gender justice and women's rights to continue enable her/him to question historically accepted and fields of gender studies, feminism and human rights the on the path to create a better world where diversity is contemporary theories and explanations about society and poorer. They are/were people of different faiths and respected. Together we can, together we must! human behaviour and examine the origins of power philosophical orientations, including Garveyites, Verene A. Shepherd differences between and amongst men and women. Rastafarians and feminists. They are/were community January 2013 IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 4
Contact us... REGIONAL ST. AUGUSTINE UNIT CAVE HILL: MONA CAMPUS UNIT COORDINATING UNIT NITA BARROW UNIT The University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies Institute for Gender and St. Augustine The University of the West Indies Sir Alister McIntyre Building Development Studies Trinidad & Tobago Cave Hill Campus, P.O. Box 64 Kingston 7, Jamaica The University of the West Indies Tel: 868-662-2002 ext 83549 Bridgetown, Barbados BB11000 Tel: 876-977-7365 Regional Headquarters Fax: 868-662-2002 ext 83572 Tel: 246-417-4490/4493 Fax: 876-977-9053 Hermitage Road E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 246-424-3822 E-mail: [email protected] Kingston 7, Jamaica Website: www.sta.uwi.edu/igds E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mona.uwi.edu/igds Tel: 876-927-1660-9, ext. 2494 or 2964; Facebook: IGDSStAugustineUnit Website: www.gender.cavehill.uwi.edu Facebook: igdsmona 876-927-1913 Flickr: igds_sta_uwi Fax: 876-927-0641 You Tube Channel: igdsuwistaugustine E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.uwi.edu/igds Facebook: IGDS.UWI IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 5
Andaiye has for several decades been active in the public life of her country, Guyana. She was a founding member of the Working People’s Alliance in 1978/79, where she worked as Coordinator and Editor, International Secretary and Women's Secretary, until 2000. From 1987 - 1992 she worked with the Women and Development Unit of the University of the West Indies (WAND), and from 1987-1996 with CARICOM, where she was a resource person during preparations for the 1995 Beijing Conference. She played a leading role in the move towards measuring unwaged work. She was also an executive member of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA). Andaiye is one of the founders of Red Thread, a 23 year old women's organization whose focus is the needs and interests of grassroots women. She has worked since 2000 as one of its Coordinators, focusing particularly on relations with other groups in the Global Women's Strike (GWS). Andaiye is also a member of Women of Colour in the GWS and 1 New Year’s Day & Independence Day (Haiti) the International Women Count Network. She has published several scholarly essays, 2 Ancestor’s Day (Haiti) 18-31 Respectful Relationships Ad Campaign a collaboration of ASPIRE, UNWomen, written newspaper columns and edited and/or copy-edited Walter's Rodney's last IGDS STA and Citizen’s Security Programme (Trinidad & Tobago) books. A cancer survivor, Andaiye was one of the founders of the Guyana Cancer 21 Errol Barrow Day (Barbados) Society and the Cancer Survivors’ Action Group. She is the recipient of a number awards, including the Arrow of Achievement in Guyana, for her work with women. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 6
Dame Gwendolyn Moreen Tonge, a champion of women's issues in Antigua, was born in Seatons Village in that island on October 3, 1923. 1980 she was appointed by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as Director of the Women's Desk. She held that position through subsequent changes in the organization (Women's Affairs and Directorate of Gender Affairs). Mrs. Tonge was appointed as Senator-Parliamentary Secretary for Women and Gender Affairs. She was later appointed to serve as a special Adviser to the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Urban Development Renewal, Medical benefits and Social Improvement. She was the recipient of many outstanding awards including MBE Queen's Birthday Award, OBE Queen's New Year Award, Order of Honour (Antigua and Barbuda) the International Women's Day Award, Home Economics awards from Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean awards for Community Humanitarian Service from the University of Guelph (Canada). In 1 World AIDS Day November 2006, Mrs Tonge was invested as a Dame Commander of the Most 9 National Heroes Day:Antigua and Barbuda 10 Human Rights Day Distinguished Order of the Nation of Antigua and Barbuda, the nation's highest 25 Christmas Day honour and in 2012 the National Heroes Day Committee recommended that she be 26 Boxing Day conferred with the title of National Hero for the 2013 National Heroes Day event. She died in 2012. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 7
Keturah Cecelia Babb (neé Nicholas) is a Rastafari woman whose philosophy is to shine the empress in every woman. Keturah's mother, who taught her always to have her own money and make her own decisions, is her greatest influence and motivator in her activism on behalf of women. Keturah has special interest in women's economic security, and women's participation in political decision-making. She is devoted to gender justice and this has led to her involvement in a range of projects for the empowerment of women at national, regional and international levels. She has worked as a teacher, guest lecturer, a researcher in agriculture, and an activist on women's issues within the NGO sector with the aims of democratising the ownership of information and knowledge to elevate the grass-roots communities of which she 6 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation 7 Independence Day (Grenada) is a part. She is a national of Dominica by birth, Barbados by marriage, and of 10 Chinese New Year (Suriname) 12 Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day the Caribbean by choice. Keturah enjoys her roles as daughter, sister, wife, 13 Ash Wednesday 15 Book Launch Bindi- The Multi-faceted Lives of Indo-Caribbean Women edited by mother, grand-mother and friend in a very large family. Rosanne Kanhai. A collaboration of IGDS STA and Hindu Women's Organization (Trinidad & Tobago) 20 World Day of Social Justice 22 Independence Day (St. Lucia) 23 Republic Mashramani (Guyana) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 8
Nelcia Robinson, woman's rights and youth activist, has for decades been involved in advocacy work across the Caribbean. Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she received her B.Sc. Degree in Human Services from Springfield College in the United States. She was a recipient of the Kellogg Fellowship in International Development. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she was an executive member of the National Youth Council, president of the National Council of Women, coordinator of Serving Housebound and Retired Elderly (SHARE), national facilitator for the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD), president of the Association of Social Workers, and president of the National Association of Mass Education. She has been the coordinator of the Caribbean Association of Indigenous People since 1987, an executive member of the Caribbean Women's Association (CARIWA), an executive member of the Caribbean Council of and for the Blind, coordinator of the Caribbean Gender and Trade Network since 1999, and between 1996 and 2009 Nelcia was the coordinator for the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA). Her remarkable contribution has been recognised through several awards. These include a Humanitarian Award for Women of Great Esteem, the CNIRD Regional 1 Independence Day (Antigua & Barbuda) 3 Independence Day (Dominica) Award for Women, the NEMO Award for Women in Disaster Management, and the 14 Caribbean Women: Catalysts for Change Lecture (Barbados) 19 International Men's Day & Garifuna Settlement Day (Belize) Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. 20 Universal Children's Day 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Independence Day (Suriname) 30 Independence Day (Barbados) TBA Divali (Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 9
The Hon. Maize Irene Barker-Welch, BCH, CHB, (Barbados Centennial Honour, Companion Honour of Barbados), and avid promoter of women's causes, was born in Barbados on September 17,1927. Her teaching career spans the St. Bernard's School, the St. Gabriel Girls' School; the Foundation Girls' School; the Ursuline Convent and Codrington High School. She was a Dorothy Cadbury Fellow at Selly Oak University in Birmingham, UK, in 1982-83. Hon. Barker-Welch was Vice President and President of the Barbados National Organisation of Women (NOW) founded in 1970; NOW's representative in the Caribbean Women's Association (CARIWA) and Barbados' representative at the first UN Conference for Women on Population Development in 1973. She was Barbados' delegate to the Inter American Commission of Women in 1986- 1994, President of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados, and Regional Coordinator for the English speaking Caribbean and USA, Canada - attending its worldwide conferences. In 1986, Hon. Barker-Welch entered Parliament as Women's History Month the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) representative for the St. Joseph Constituency. 8 International Women's Day & UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace 9 National Heroes and Benefactors Day (Belize) She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Community 11 Launch of "Groundings with the Brothers" (Jamaica) Development, also serving in other ministries including the Ministry for Women's 15 Book Launch- Love and Power: Caribbean Discourses of Gender (Barbados) International Women’s Day Commemoration & Dorian Powell Prize Ceremony (Jamaica) Affairs. She was appointed Senator from 1991-1994. 25-27 Inaugural Caribbean Conference on Domestic Violence and Gender Equality (Tobago) 29 Good Friday 30 Spiritual Baptist Liberation/ Shouter Baptist Day (Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 10
Hermione McKenzie, Grenadian born, is a stalwart of the Caribbean women's movement is the current President of the Association of Women's Organisations of Jamaica (AWOJA). A Caribbean Sociologist, Mrs McKenzie served as a Senior Lecturer in the UWI Mona's Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work for over 40 years. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Brandeis University and has published widely on gender issues, family planning, education and social development policies. Mrs McKenzie has prepared numerous reports for the Jamaican Government, Statutory and Private Sector Organisations on issues ranging from family planning and community development to socio-economic development in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. She has served as a member of the Jamaica Council of Voluntary Social Services, Family Planning Board, YWCA, Breast Cancer Awareness Month Canadian Upliftment Services Organization and the Bureau of Women's Affairs among 15 International Day of Rural Women 21 National Heroes Day (Jamaica) others. She also served as a member of the Jamaican delegation to the UN's 'End-of- 27 Independence Day (St.Vincent & the Grenadines) Decade Conference' on Women in Nairobi in 1985 and was former Convenor of the Women's Studies Working Group at the UWI, Mona. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 11
Hazel Brown, has been professionally involved in research, social development and community organisation projects since 1969. Her specific area of focus has been in the area of poverty eradication, consumer affairs and in promoting gender equity. She has organised and conducted numerous seminars and workshops pursuant to these ends in collaboration with government ministries, CARICOM, Commonwealth organizations and UN agencies. She is an outstanding Caribbean woman leader and has visited and worked with women's organizations and leaders in all Commonwealth Caribbean countries on matters related to consumer affairs, politics, development and gender equity issues. Ms. Brown has also been a founding member of the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women, formed in 1985 to present the position of women in Trinidad and Tobago at the End of Decade Conference in Nairobi. She is the past Secretary General of the Commonwealth Women's Network and has been engaged in Commonwealth activities since the first Commonwealth Child Abuse Prevention Month 1 Easter Monday People's Forum at CHOGM in Harare in 19991. She has an outstanding record of 28 National Heroes' Day (Barbados) 29 Book Launch- Love and Power: Caribbean Discourses of Gender (Jamaica) community service and is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 12
Joycelin Massiah is Guyanese by birth, and a citizen of Barbados with several years of service in Jamaica. Professor Massiah was the first female Head of a Department, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados (UWI); first Caribbean female Professor, Faculty of Social Science, first female Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, and first Coordinator of major research about women in the region. Her groundbreaking 1986 work, The Women in the Caribbean Project (WICP), provided the English-speaking Caribbean with its first research about women's realities from women's perspective. Professor Massiah held the post of Regional Programme Advisor, UNIFEM Caribbean Office and was honoured with the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women in 1999. Barbados also honoured her with the Gold Crown of Merit. In a 1999 interview with CAFRA, Professor Massiah said: “The women of my mother's generation did what 16 National Heroes Day (St Kitts & Nevis) they had to do and they've done it well. Those of mine built on it and carried it forward, 19 Independence Day (St. Kitts & Nevis) 21 Independence Day (Belize) particularly in research and analysis….The next generation has the task of finding a 24 Republic Day (Trinidad & Tobago) 22-28 (International) Peace Week stronger link between the women's movement and government. This relationship will TBA Book Launch: History of IGDS (Jamaica) have to be re-crafted if we are to make any substantial move forward.” (http://www.cafra.org/spip.php?article479; http://www.cafra.org/spip.php?article483) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 3:03 PM Page 13
Kathleen Drayton (née McCracken) was born in Trinidad and Tobago on December 02, 1930. Along with her then husband, Dr Harry Drayton, she assisted in the setting up of the University of Guyana in 1963. Her long and outstanding service to the University of the West Indies began in 1973 when she joined the staff in the Faculty of Education at the Cave Hill Campus. Kathleen Drayton was among the intrepid band of women educators who lobbied for and succeeded in creating the Women and Development Studies programme which eventually became the Centre for Development and Gender Studies and now, The UWI Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit. Drayton has long been widely recognised for her various roles in education, the arts and activism with non- government organisations. Her activism extended into her retirement years. Unable to 1 Labour Day (Barbados) ignore injustice or discrimination whenever she encountered them, she helped establish 5 Indian Heritage Day (Guyana) 12 Mother's Day the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) and at the time of her death, in 20 Whit Monday (Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Monsterrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines) 2009, was its President. 26 Independence Day (Guyana) 30 Indian Arrival Day (Trinidad & Tobago) 30 Corpus Christi (Haiti, Grenada, St Lucia,Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 14
Claudia Jones born in Belmont, Trinidad and Tobago in 1915, migrated to the United States as a child, was a radical activist within a communist, Marxist, Black Feminist vein. Jones joined the communist party in 1936, and came under FBI surveillance a few years later. She was first imprisoned in 1948, and then deported in 1955, becoming the only Black woman expelled from the United States on the basis of communism. In England, she continued her struggle against capitalism, racism, and male supremacy. Following a series of racial attacks in Notting Hill, she organized London's first carnival in 1959. Timed to coincide with Trinidad's Carnival, the accompanying brochure stated “A people's art is the genesis of their freedom”. She also founded one of the first newspapers aimed at the Black community in London, the . In Jones' own words, “we can accelerate the militancy of Negro women to the degree with which we demonstrate that the economic, political and social demands of Negro women
are not just ordinary demands, but special demands flowing from special discrimination 1 Emancipation Day (Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines,Trinidad & Tobago) facing Negro women as women, and as workers and as Negroes.” (Jones, 1951). She & Kadooment Day (Barbados) 4 Emancipation/Freedom day/August Monday (Dominica, Grenada) died in 1965. 6 Independence Day (Jamaica) Boyce Davies, Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Blac k Communist Claudia Jones , Durham, NC: Duke 12 International Youth Day University Press, 2007 31 Independence Day (Trinidad & Tobago) TBA EId-Ul-Fitr (Guyana, Suriname,Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 15
Joan French’s life has been one of tireless activism for women's socio-cultural and political progress. As part of the primary school cohort that gained free places to secondary education for the first time in 1956, she attended St Andrew High School and later received the Jamaica Centenary Scholarship in 1964. She gained the Bachelor of Arts in Language Studies, a Master of Arts in International Relations from London University and Diploma in Education from UWI, Mona. As President of the National Union of Democratic Teachers, she led revolutionary measures such as maternity leave for unmarried teachers. Associated with the political left of the 70s, French struggled to get their attention to women's issues and became involved with the Sistren Theatre Collective. She was a Board member of the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre, a founding member of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, Coordinator of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre; 1991- 1995, and was involved in discussions leading to the establishment of the IGDS. She has contributed with Honor Ford-Smith to expanding knowledge through Sistren Research.
French joined the United Nations in 1996, as the UNICEF Regional Advisor for Women in 1 International Children's Day the Americas and Caribbean Regional Office in Bogota, Colombia, then became Chief of 12 World Day Against Child Labour 16 Fathers' Day Gender at UNICEF Headquarters in New York; 1998-2002. From 2003 to 2007 she served 19 Labour Day (Trinidad & Tobago) as UNICEF's country representative to Burkina Faso, West Africa, where she made outstanding contributions to the advancement of girls' education. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 16
Amy Jacques Garvey born in 1895 was a Jamaican writer, poet and civil rights leader for Black and women's liberation. She moved to Harlem in 1917 where she met Marcus Garvey. She became involved with editing and publishing newspaper. Jacques addressed feminist issues in a page called “Our Women and What They Think.” She became the second wife of Marcus Garvey in 1922. Amy Jacques Garvey helped in most aspects of Marcus Garvey's businesses. She educated people about Black consciousness, self-help and economic independence. It is said that due to her dedication to promoting Marcus Garvey's work the term Garveyism should also be applied to her. She was mainly responsible for continuing Marcus Garvey's legacy by editing and the publication of three volumes of . During the 1940s she was the contributing editor to the 10 Independence Day (Bahamas) journal The African which was published in Harlem. In 1944 she wrote “A Memorandum 31 Emancipation Commemoration Vigils/Events Correlative of Africa, West Indies and the Americas” which she sent to representatives of the United Nations urging them to adopt an African Freedom Charter. She died in 1973. Photo courtesy of National Library of Jamaica IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 17
Amy Ashwood Garvey born in 1897, was the co-founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) with her husband Marcus Mosiah Garvey. She was an influential political activist, journalist, music producer, playwright, artist, lecturer and businesswoman. In 1914 she met Marcus Garvey in Kingston and she became UNIA's first secretary and a member of the management board. Garvey co-founded it's Ladies' Auxiliary Wing. She married Marcus Garvey in New York in 1919 and they established the American headquarters of the UNIA there. After her divorce in 1922 Ashwood Garvey gave lectures on Black self- determination, Pan-Africanism and women's rights internationally. In 1924 she co- founded the Nigerian Progress Union. She was a founder member of the 'International African Service Bureau' and between 1935 and 1938 she managed a restaurant in 1-31 10th Caribbean Institute in Gender and De velopment (Barbados) London where Pan-Africanists met. In 1945 she helped to organize the fifth Pan- 10 Independence Day (Bahamas) 31 Emancipation Commemoration Vigils/Events African Congress in Manchester where she delivered a presentation on women's empowerment. Amy Ashwood Garvey worked with the feminist activist Claudia Jones to promote the Notting Hill carnival in London. This was important as a means for Black Photo courtesy of National Library of Jamaica people to celebrate their culture and defy racism. She died in 1969. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 18
Nalita Gajadhar’s name is synonymous with feminist activism and advocacy in Barbados. For over 25 years she has advocated for women's rights and social justice. She has served as the President of the National Organisation of Women and President of the Business and Professional Women's Club. Gajadhar currently works as a Programme Officer with the Bureau of Gender Affairs. She is motivated by a passion for people and a lifelong involvement in anti-violence work and community engagement. In her voice: “before there was a shelter or a notion of what a shelter was I grew up in a house where my mother made our home a shelter. Many a night you shared a bed with people in the community who ran from violence. My mother always opened the door to let the woman and the children in and she would stand at
the door and face down the man who was racing after the woman. So it was just 1 International Children's Day 9 Whit Monday (Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, something that I have lived. I guess I just continued to do it. But I don't do it the same Monsterrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines) 12 World Day Against Child Labour way my mother did. I do it through the [women's] groups I have joined and the kind of 16 Fathers' Day advocacy that I do.” 19 Labour Day (Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 19
Audrey Layne Jeffers born in Trinidad in 1898, emerged in an era of developing feminist thought. Fondly known as the Mother of Trinidadian Philanthropy, Jeffers shaped the notion of “community care,” where communities were influenced to play an active role in lifting those most in need among them. In 1920, she established a school serving black middle-class children, earning Jeffers a reputation as a teacher of excellence. Above all other achievements, Jeffers is most well remembered for laying the foundations for social work and community development, both in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean. Many of the traditions, institutions and methodologies developed by Jeffers and her Coterie of Social Workers have continued to last in the 21st Century. The Coterie of Social Workers (COSW) allowed Jeffers to combine her concern with women, her compassion for the less fortunate and her concern for persons of African descent. In March 1936, she was honoured guest of the Negro Progress Convention, British Guiana to mark the 100th Anniversary of Slave Emancipation. In May, the Coterie hosted the First Conference of British West Indies and British Guiana Women Social Workers in Port of Spain, the first 1 Emancipation Day (Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines,Trinidad & Tobago) major women's conference of the English-Speaking Caribbean. Recommendations & Kadooment Day (Barbados) included: the introduction of a girl's scholarship, establishment of a Women's Police 5 Emancipation/Freedom day/August Monday (Dominica, Grenada) 6 Independence Day (Jamaica) Force and increased employment for educated Black women. In October, Jeffers 12 International Youth Day 31 Independence Day (Trinidad & Tobago) became the first women elected to the Port of Spain Municipal Council and in 1946 she TBA EId-Ul-Fitr (Guyana, Suriname,Trinidad & Tobago) became the first woman nominated to the Legislative Council. She also served as honorary counsel for the Republic of Liberia. She died in 1968. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 20
Elma François born in 1897 was moulded by loss, oppression and struggle. In her formative years, Elma Constance François grew with eyes wide open in a colonial St. Vincent where racial discrimination and a lack of political activism among working-class blacks were an accepted reality. In 1919 she migrated to Trinidad where she found niche in the budding labour movements of Cipriani and Howard-Bishop. This would not last however, as François saw beyond the exclusivity of socialist-style leadership of the labour movement and sought to be closer to the workers. She is credited with promoting a grassroots approach to the mobilization of the working- class. Ever conscious of her African heritage, François was a founding member of the Negro Welfare Cultural and Social Association (NWCSA) that sought the empowerment of black people and particularly black women whose voices were
continually silenced in the political sphere. Here, François can also be credited for 1 Labour Day (Barbados) 5 Indian Heritage Day (Guyana) forming the first notable gender-neutral space for political activism, where men and 12 Mother's Day 23 Labour Day (Jamaica) women worked jointly against colonial oppression. In 1987, she was posthumously 26 Independence Day (Guyana) 30 Indian Arrival Day (Trinidad & Tobago) declared a national heroine of Trinidad and Tobago. She died in 1944. 30 Corpus Christi (Haiti, St Lucia, Grenada,Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 21
Una Marson, born in 1905, transformed the representation of Jamaican women in poems, plays, journalism and activism. In 1928 Marson's commitment to advancing women's liberation was reflected in the journal that she founded; “The Cosmopolitan: A Monthly Magazine for the Business Youth of Jamaica and the Official Organ of The Stenographers.” Marson challenged racism when she edited the League of Coloured Peoples journal; “The Keys”. In 1935 Marson was the first Jamaican to give a lecture at the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship Conference in Istanbul and was the first Black woman to attend the League of Nations at Geneva. From 1937 in Jamaica, Una Marson had a column in the People's National Party paper called “Public Opinion.” During a period when Jamaican beauty contests idealized whiteness, Marson's poetry validated Black women's experiences. Consider 'Kinky Hair Blues' (1937): “I hate dat ironed hair/ And dat bleaching skin/ But I'll be all alone/If I don't fall
in...I like me black face/And me kinky hair/But nobody loves dem/I jes don't tink it's 16 National Heroes Day (St Kitts & Nevis) fair.” In 1938 Marson returned to London and did freelance work for the BBC and in 19 Independence Day (St. Kitts & Nevis) 21 Independence Day (Belize) 1941 was appointed as a full-time assistant for the radio programme “Calling the West 24 Republic Day (Trinidad & Tobago) 22-28 (International) Peace Week Indies.” In 1945 Marson returned to Jamaica and she worked for the nationalist “Pioneer Press.” She died in 1965. Donnell and Welsh,The Routledge Reader in Caribbean Literature. London: Routledge, 1996; Photo courtesy of National Library of Jamaica Ford- Smith, ‘Una Marson, ’Caribbean Quarterly 34, 3/4. 1988: 22-37 IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 22
Flavia Cherry is an entrepreneur who has spent her life working towards the cause of gender and social justice in St. Lucia and also in the Caribbean. Cherry is perhaps best known for her role in advocacy and action over the past twenty years. She is currently the Acting Chairperson of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) and President of the Civil Society Network in St. Lucia. She is also a founding member of the St. Lucia National Organization for Women and ASPIRE St. Lucia as well as the Caribbean Women's Network on Sexual and Reproductive Health (CARIWONET). Cherry is the host of the television Talk Show “The Gender Dimension” which she has used to promote gender equality and social justice. Not one to shy away from major challenges, she has undertaken many campaigns and activities
which have led to varying degrees of change within the society, including law reform on Child Abuse Prevention Month 18 Good Friday abortion, policy change on water, improved service delivery for children, as well as 21 Easter Monday 28 National Heroes' Day (Barbados) demanding full respect for the human rights of vulnerable populations, including sex workers. She has also worked very closely with women in Haiti through the CAFRA Network. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 23
Lucille Mathurin Mair was a renowned author and diplomat and was deeply concerned with women's rights and gender equality. As the founding Regional Coordinator of the Women and Development Studies Project, which paved the way for the establishment of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies (CGDS) at UWI, Mair held equal company with a group of dynamic women in an era ripe with transition and development. She was also a founding member of Development Alternatives with Women for New Era (DAWN). She was a prolific writer, and pioneered the documentation and detailed analysis of slave and post-slave society in Jamaica. She was also one of the first scholars to chart the history of women in Jamaica, providing them with their own identity within male-dominated literature. Her pioneering PhD this “A Historical Study of Women in Jamaica from 1655-1844” was the first PhD Breast Cancer Awareness Month on women's history to be awarded at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Beyond 15 International Day of Rural Women 21 National Heroes Day (Jamaica) academia, Mair promoted gender-based issues on an international level as Secretary- 27 Independence Day (St.Vincent & the Grenadines) General for the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women in 1980 and would go on to serve from 1982-1987 as the Secretary-General to the UN Conference on Palestine. She died in 2009. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 24
Dame Ruth Nita Barrow born in 1916, was Governor General of Barbados from 1990 to 1995. Dame Nita served at various times as President of the World Young Women's Christian Association, the World President of the International Council for Adult Education, President of the World Council of Churches, and Barbados' Ambassador to the United Nations (1986 to 1990). She was a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Mission to South Africa in 1986 and was Convenor of the NGO Forum for Women at the United Nations World Congress on Women in Nairobi in 1985. In all these capacities, Dame Nita championed the causes of justice, equality, peace, and the empowerment of women. Dame Nita was a tower of strength to regional and worldwide movements which were inspired by her spirit of activism, compassion, brilliance and joy. In honour of the late Dame Nita Barrow, the then Centre for Gender and Development Studies, Cave Hill Unit, was renamed The Nita Barrow Unit on November 15, 2006. Women's History Month 8 International Women's Day & United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace 9 National Heroes and Benefactors Day (Belize) 14 National Heroes Day ( St Vincent & the Grenadines) 30 Spiritual Baptist Liberation/ Shouter Baptist Day (Trinidad & Tobago) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 25
Gema Ramkeesoon was born in Trinidad in 1910 and was active in the Church and in women's organizations. Mrs. Ramkeesoon was the first local Diocesan President of the largest group of Anglican women, the Mothers’ Union; first Chairman of a Women's Prison Visiting Committee; first Secretary of the Day Nursery Association; past President of the Women's Corona Society; a member of the Minimum Wages Council, forerunner to the Industrial Court; and past President of the Soroptomist International, a professional women's organisation. In a delivery to the inaugural seminar in Women and Development Studies in 1986, Gema Ramkeesoon observed: “Today we can enumerate the tremendous strides our women have made. We know of female senators, ministers of government, judges, lawyers, professors of education…At the beginning of the twentieth century, we were none of these. Nevertheless, as a social worker myself, I can 1 Independence Day (Antigua & Barbuda) be proud of the pioneering contribution we have made. I look now at you educated 3 Independence Day (Dominica) 6-8 IGDS 20th Anniversary Conference on Gender Transformations in the Caribbean women, professionally trained, 'financially secure', independently minded, with every (Trinidad & Tobago) 15 Caribbean Women: Catalysts for Change Lecture (Barbados) possible profession and opportunity open to you. As you stand at the threshold of 19 International Men's Day & Garifuna Settlement Day (Belize) 20 Universal Children's Day the twenty-first century, I envy you”. 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Ramkeesoon, Gema (1988). Early Women’s Organizations in Trinidad: 1920s to 1950s. In Patricia & Independence Day (Suriname) Mohammed and Catherine Shepher d, eds., Gender in Car ibbean Development. Kingston, Jamaica: UWI 30 Independence Day (Barbados) Women and Development Studies Project, 353-356. TBA Divali (Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 26
Amy Bailey born in 1895, was open and articulate in her stand against racial discrimination of and among black people. As one of the first and few persons to openly critique white-on- black and brown-on-black discrimination, Bailey emerged as an influential intellect early in the Women's and Anti-Racism movements in Jamaica. A teacher by training, this Garveyite lobbied for increased representation of women in politics and better education. She was particularly concerned with ensuring that black girls and young women were equipped to rise above the inherently disadvantageous class system into which they were born. Bailey was the co-founder and president of the Women's Liberal Club (1936), was involved in the Jamaica Save the Children Fund, the Birth Control League and was a foundation member of the Jamaica Federation of Women. Among multiple achievements as a 6 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation teacher and political activist, Bailey was one of the first black women in Jamaica to 7 Independence Day (Grenada) 10 Chinese New Year (Suriname) become a Justice of the Peace and received high commendations from Jamaica for her 12 Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day 20 World Day of Social Justice service to society in the form of the Order of Distinction in 1971. She died in 1990. 22 Independence Day (St. Lucia) 23 Republic Mashramani (Guyana)
Photo courtesy of National Library of Jamaica IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 27
Verna St Rose Greaves,
a stalwart feminist and political activist of Trinidad and Tobago was appointed a Senator and Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development. Ms. Greaves is a social worker by profession, a revered feminist, counsellor, social activist and a motivational speaker. Her skills entail Gender Studies, Industrial Relations, Mediation and Human Rights. Ms. Greaves' passion is driven by her desire for development issues and regional integration and she has participated in several programs in pursuance of economic and social development in Trinidad and Tobago and the region. Ms. Greaves has worked with government, NGO's and as a private consultant. She has done substantial work in the areas of welfare policy, poverty alleviation, family services, gender and development, adoption of children, violence against women and children, crime and violence in the society, HIV-AIDS, and prison reform and has lead the call for the enactment of a National Gender Policy for 1 World AIDS Day Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years she has participated in a multitude of training 9 National Heroes Day (Antigua & Barbuda) 10 Human Rights Day workshops and conferences, and has presented papers locally, regionally and 25 Christmas Day 26 Boxing Day internationally. Her involvement in the practical training and support of social work students of the University of the West Indies informs her ongoing work on the development of a Forum for Alternative Social Work Education (FASWE). IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 28
Dr. Peggy Antrobus’ exemplary contribution to women's empowerment has earned her respect and admiration both regionally and internationally. She was born in Grenada, acquired citizenship of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and resides in Barbados. Dr. Antrobus pursued studies in Economics at the Bristol University in the UK and Social Work at the Birmingham University. Her PhD in Education was obtained from the University of Massachusetts. She was a founding member of the Caribbean Association of Feminist Action and Research (CAFRA), Women's Bureau in Jamaica, the Women and Development Unit in the School of Continuing Studies, UWI, Cave Hill, and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) and functioned as its General Coordinator from 1990 to 1996. Dr. Antrobus has served in multiple capacities including: Chief Community Development Officer for St. Vincent (1969- 1970), Director, Women's Bureau, Jamaica (1974-1977), Secretary, Caribbean
Coordinating Committee on Women's Affairs (1977-78), Tutor-Coordinator, Women 1 New Years Day & Independence Day (Haiti) and Development Unit (WAND) UWI at Cave Hill (1978-1995). Dr Antrobus was also the 2 Ancestors Day (Haiti) 21 Errol Barrow Day (Barbados) initiator of the process in 1982, which led to the formation of the Women and Development Studies Groups on each UWI Campus, paving the way for the establishment of the CGDS in 1993. She has also published extensively on issues pertinent to women's development and has served as advisor to various international agencies and Caribbean governments. IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 29
IGDS Heads of Department and Units : Nita Barrow Unit From left to right – Mrs Hazel Blackman (Office Assistant); Dr Tonya Haynes (Temp. Lecturer); Dr Charmaine Crawford (Acting Head); Dr Carmen Hutchinson Miller (Research Assistant); Mrs Olivia Birch (Stenographer/Clerk); Dr Halimah DeShong (Temp. Lecturer); Ms Suzanne Archer (Temp. Administrative Assistant)
Mona Unit From left to right: Ms Ingrid Nicely (Senior Administrative Assistant); Dr Annecka Marshall (Lecturer); Ms Ann-Marie Virgo, Dr. Charmaine Crawford Dr. Leith Dunn, Dr. Piya Pangsapa Prof. Verene Shepherd Acting Head, (Receptionist) and Dr Leith Dunn, (Senior Lecturer/Head). Head, Mona Unit Head, University Director, IGDS, Nita Barrow Unit St. Augustine Unit Regional Coordinator, Regional St. Augustine Unit: Front Row L to R: Ms. Kathryn Chan Coordinating Unit (Contract Officer); Ms. Natasha Richards-Isaac (Clerical Assistant); Ms. Suelan Chin-Colai (Clerical Assistant); Dr. Jeanne Roach-Baptiste (Assistant Lecturer) Back Row: Ms. Sommer Hunte (Outreach and Research); Dr. Piyasuda Pangsapa (Head of Department/Senior Lecturer); Ms. Avril Patterson-Pierre (Administrative Assistant); Ms. Anusha Ragbir ( Research Nita Barrow Unit Mona Unit Assistant); Ms. Tessa Ottley (Documentalist); Dr. Gabrielle Hosein (Lecturer); Ms. Susan Jacelon (Office Attendant). Regional Coordinating Unit: From left to right – Dr Dalea Bean (Lecturer), Mrs Suzanne Charles-Watson (Junior Research Fellow), Ms Taitu Heron (Lecturer), Mrs Margaret Hunter (Office Attendant), Mrs Shakira Maxwell (Administrative Officer), Ms Andrea Allen (Secretary). Seated: Professor Verene Shepherd (University Director) St. Augustine Unit Regional Coordinating Unit IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 30
IGDS Professors Eudine Barriteau, BSc (UWI), MPA (NYU), PhD (Howard) Professor of Gender & Public Policy; Head, Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Nita Barrow Unit (August 1, 1993 – Present); On secondment to the Office of the Deputy Principal (August 1, 2008 - Present) Patricia Mohammed, BA, MSc (UWI), PhD (ISS, The Hague) Eudine Barriteau Patricia Mohammed Rhoda Reddock Professor of Gender & Cultural Studies; Head, Mona Unit, Centre for Gender and Development Studies (1994-2002); Chair, School for Graduate Studies and Research, St. Augustine Campus (2007- 2012) Rhoda Reddock, BSc (UWI), MSc (The Hague), PhD (University of Amsterdam); Professor of Gender, Social Change and Development; Head, Centre for Gender and Development Studies, St. Augustine Campus Unit (August 1, 1994 to July 2008); Deputy Principal, St. Augustine Campus (2008 - Present)
Professors Emerita Barbara Bailey, BSc (University of London, UCWI), BSc (UWI), Dip Ed. (UWI), PhD (UWI); Barbara Bailey Elsa Leo-Rhynie Professor of Gender and Education; University Director, IGDS (1995- July 2010) Elsa Leo-Rhynie, BSc (University of London, UCWI), Dip Ed (UWI), PhD (UWI) Professor of Gender & Development Studies; Regional Coordinator, Project of Cooperation in Teaching Research and Outreach in Women and Development Studies (1992-1993); Regional Coordinator Centre for Gender and Development Studies (May 1993-July 1996) IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 31 IGDS Calendar201314 3/4/13 10:29 AM Page 32