St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College holds Lecture on gender inequalities…

Gender Inequalities, Violence against Women and Education as an empowerment tool were discussed on Thursday, April 28, as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College held their second lecture in the lecture series “Education, the Gateway.”{{more}}

The lecture took place at the Peace Memorial Hall, with featured speaker Dr. Halimah deShong, as well as a lecturette done by Shanique Browne, a Psychology student at the Division of Arts, Science and General Studies.

deShong explained several concepts of Gender held by sociologists which varied slightly.

Quoting the views of sociologists, deShong stated that Gender is based on perceptions of society, on the experience of men and women in society, as well as exposure to culture, religion and other social groups.

She highlighted extensively the issue of Violence against Women. Referring to research she did between 2007 and 2008 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, deShong explained that violence against women is characterized by oppression, imprisonment and entrapment.

deShong stated that some women admitted to repeated instances of violence, as well as the use of controlling acts, explaining that in one instance a women said she was unable to go to a certain place without her spouse checking up on her.

deShong added that in discussing acts of physical violence, men would minimize the aggression or frequency of the act. She stated that men’s tendency to do so shows their awareness of violence against women is not sanctioned in public discourse.

deShong stated that men also attempted to present themselves as non violent, often stating that ‘I am not a violent person’ or distancing themselves from the act by saying ‘I did not hit her; she was hit’, by way of example.

Focusing on education as empowerment, deShong stated that a crucial aspect of social change in the quest towards ending gender inequality and violence against women is to embrace the transformative social function of education as empowerment.

She added that empowerment is the ability to achieve personal goals to facilitate the alignment of their own ambitions.

Public education and dialogue, de Shong stated, are prerequisites of the process of empowerment, and positive personal and social change are results of empowerment.

Shanique Browne, delivering the lecturette, highlighted the presence of male dominance in several societal roles as well as the ways in which women are usually objectified in today’s society.

Browne addressed the issue of women being presented as objects in media and culture, with emphasis on the degrading lyrics present in most main stream music today. She also highlighted that not only men, but women have become involved in the act.

She added that still today, in several social institutions, such as the church, at home, and even in the workplace, women are required to subdue to male dominance.

The second lecture was held under the theme “Empowerment and Education: Responding to Gendered Inequalities and Violence against Women.”