It’s hard, at the moment, to find a glimmer of light and hope for our young women and girls. There seems to be so much against them; their status as “victims” in the eyes of the Jamaica media and public seems firmly entrenched. But there are beacons of light and resilience, shining bright and unwavering.
One of these is the “PowHERhouse” campaign undertaken last year by WMW Jamaica (which, by the way, has been around since 1987). I had the pleasure of participating in the program in a small way last year, helping to guide two groups of young women on the use of social media as a way of creating and developing a unique “voice.” WMW’s project (#IAmAPowHERhouse) – with support from UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality – seeks to make progress towards specific goals, using the media.
What are these goals? Well, firstly let’s get rid of those gender stereotypes, which are often supported by language, images, behavior and the way in which policies are designed to cater to gender socialization. Secondly, the aim of the program is to celebrate and highlight the achievements of women and to support them in their success; we all know how important role models are, whether women or men. And then there is the institution of the family – whatever we consider this to be, in its modern form. While many still cling to the old ideal of the “nuclear family” (if it was ever an ideal) this is far removed from reality, not only in Jamaica but increasingly globally. So, society and its institutions must adjust in order to properly support the new, modern family, which is itself an ever-changing dynamic, these days.
There are many ways in which these goals can be brought nearer; however, none of these are short-term. One is the kind of training WMW has been doing, giving young women tools of expression. Another empowerment tool is mentoring. A great example of this is the work of Marcia Forbes, businesswoman, media guru and activist. Through her work as Executive Chairperson at Phase Three Productions, Dr. Forbes encourages and supports young women as well as men to enter the usually male-dominated “techie” field of video and television production, editing and directing – “not just answering the phone and using the computer,” but the real hands-on stuff. She ensures a good gender balance in her team at all times. You can watch her videos on the topic here: https://vimeo.com/126538973
Awareness-raising and dialogue is, of course, ongoing. WMW uses media, drama skits and popular media forms to make us all think about the conflicts and complexities of gender relations in a rapidly-changing and often confusing world. We have to try and make sense of it all. During a recent Twitter chat in collaboration with the 51% Coalition, the one-hour session was packed with ideas and comments. The discussion could have lasted all evening. There is indeed a lot to say.
Some of you may be sighing: OK, here is yet another feminist campaign for women to rule the world and “take over.” No. This is about empowering women so as to redress the balance in society, in the labor market, in national governance and in business. Gender equality, not tipping the scales the other way, is the ultimate goal. Equality: That is what feminism means to me. Men as well as women will benefit from it equally.
There is another thing about power. We have to be careful how we toss it around. It should not be a question of trampling on others – whether men or women, older or younger, whatever race or class – to achieve our goals. We should never be aiming for the “Game of Thrones” kind of power; nor that of Tolkien’s “One Ring to rule them all,” to cite two currently popular fantasy depictions of power. Nor are we going for “Superwoman” status. “Power without control, love, discipline, knowledge is dangerous,” said poet and inspirational speaker Elaine Wint at the launch of the PowHERhouse campaign recently.
So let’s “light up” the PowHERhouse, and support a young woman today! It’s Living. It’s Learning. And it’s Leading.
You can contact WMW Jamaica at 1A Goodwood Terrace, Kingston 10. Tel: (876) 969-7894; 881-5177. Email: hello@wmwja.org. Website: http://www.wmwja.org. Also on Facebook and Twitter @WMWJamaica
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