Up Front
Gender Policy Development At'Critical' Point
Sharing information on the many issues affectingmen and women is the primary objective of a National Gender Policyworkshop being held next week. Called a 'Critical StakeholdersWorkshop,' the two-day event will bring together ministry officials,the Gender Policy's Research and Development Team, heads of departments,concerned non-governmental associations and individuals.
The meetings take place 4-5 June at theCommunity College Hall. There will be presentations from the researchteam, which has worked for the past year to identify issues andprepare groundwork for the Gender Policy. Attending the workshopwill be a special group of panelists including: MLA, Dr. FrankMcField; Magistrate, Margare Ramsey Hale; Permanent Secretary,Joy Basdeo; Acting Chief Education Officer, Nyda Flatley; DeputyDirector of Social Services, Jen Dixon and Deputy Chairman ofthe Immigration Board, Patrick Schmid.
Chaired by Permanent Secretary, Carson Ebanks,the research team includes representatives from the educational,health, labour, legal, media and religious sectors. Amongst thetopics raised as gender-sensitive issues are paternity and maternityleave, media portrayal of men and women, matrimonial law and renumeration.
Co-ordinator, Ms. Marilyn Conolly and the staff of the Women'sResource Centre have worked with volunteers since last summer,as well as regular contact and visits by external advisors Mrs.Audrey Ingram Roberts of the Bahamas and Dr. Pat Mohammed of theCentre for Gender and Development Studies, UWI, Jamaica.
Expressing his pleasure at this milestonein the policy formulation, Mr. Ebanks said the workshop will includepresentations and discussions, briefings for the concerned agenciesand the expression of feedback and opinions. He commented, "Thiswill be especially useful in preparing a public awareness exercise,which will take the gender policy concept and proposals to thedistricts, to interest groups and to the public at large."
The Hon. Edna Moyle J.P., whose ministry is spearheading the NationalGender Policy initiative, said it aims to introduce to the menand women of the Cayman Islands the concept and practice of genderequity and equality.
"It takes into consideration the rapidly-evolving roles ofcitizens over recent decades and the impact on women and men andfamily life," said Ms. Moyle. "The end result shouldbe a document which encourages the development of an equitablesociety."
Areas to be addressed at the Critical StakeholdersWorkshop range from constitutional and legislative ramifications,to inter-agency linkages and its relationship to the Vision 2008document
Registration for the workshop begins at8:30a.m. on Monday at the Community College Hall. Members of thepublic interested in attending should contact Ms. Marilyn Conollyat 244-2423.