KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR

I BELIEVE we should invest in all people equally, regardless of gender. Men and women are not created biologically equal but we are physically and emotionally complementary. There are some tasks that women are better at, some tasks that men are better at and some tasks that they are equally good at. Accelerating progress means encouraging society to create equal opportunities for both males and females and judging applicants fairly on meritorious criteria, not on identity.

Whoever is more qualified for any particular task, regardless of gender, should be chosen for the job. I don’t believe either gender should receive special treatment. I believe in equality of opportunity with fair judging criteria and not equality of outcome. Any individual would like to look back at their life and know that they fairly outcompeted others and earned their achievements.

The International Women’s Day campaign theme for this year encouraged to inspire inclusion but the reality is the structural concepts of the modern women’s movement seem rooted exclusively in modern American and European feminist values. Many times the cultural, religious, social and familial values of the other parts of the world are not taken into consideration to be included in women’s rights messaging.

It is insulting for an educated woman who independently chooses to follow cultural, religious, social and familial values other than modern American and European feminist values to then be judged as oppressed.

I choose to wear an orhni and full-length clothing to cover my head and body at times during religious events. Modern radical feminists would deem these head coverings oppressive. However, it is my choice based on my religious beliefs, just as it is their choice how to dress as they see fit.

Inclusion means expanding the concepts of the modern wom- en’s movement to include a wider consideration of the world’s customs, values and beliefs. Of course, there are some countries that have repressive policies towards women, but the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago in particular are very progressive regarding women’s rights.

Twenty-two countries in Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, many countries in the Caribbean have elected women to lead them but the US has never elected a woman leader. That should be food for thought.

Each woman should be free to independently choose her own cultural, religious, social and familial values and not have them imposed on her by any individual, group or movement. In the Caribbean region, female presidents, prime ministers, ministers and parliamentarians have been elected, which could not have happened without the votes of men.

In our country, women are included in all fields. On any given day you see women in politics, media, management, farming, protective services; engineers, doctors. It is just natural that some fields will be dominated by men and others by women because of our biological differences, but there is inclusion in all fields in Trinidad and Tobago. The fact that th