Cuba's economic model - significantly free from IMF's restrictions, exhibits a model where freedom propels progression

The Cuban Revolution Prioritizes Education

Cuba: A Beacon of Optimism from the Caribbean Region

By Dr Kevin Turnquest-Alcena

Nassau, The Bahamas

Living in English-speaking Caribbean, they typically experience democracy, often, by a fall back method creating a widespread matter called political clientelism.

Governments of this system including, borrowing from Peter to fulfill Paul with no clear sustainable plan for settlement. As a result, people often bear high taxes for these loans. If the debt cycle isn't checked, there could be a very real threat of these countries finding themselves in a financial crisis! Resembling Argentina's saga described by high taxation and skyrocketed inflation leading to severe economic lack.

On top of it, countries, like Trinidad, face exchange control problems, where strict currency policies further entangle economic stability and growth, making it another layer of difficulty in handling national finances.

Cuba, on the other hand is free from these problems. By developing its own exclusive political and economic systems - it operates out of the borrowing and dependency loop, thus skipping high taxation and possibly financial crises troubling other Caribbean countries due to political clientelism.

In an age where genuine democracy often seems more of a dream than a reality, and global economies are firmly controlled by bodies, like the IMF. Anyway, Cuba positions itself as a beacon of flexibility and ingenuity. The island nation skillfully navigated the difficulties of a prolonged economic ban and international isolation, offering a model of self-reliance and innovation stirring its Caribbean surroundings and far beyond.

Economic Independence and Women Empowerment

Cuba's economic model, significantly free from IMF's restrictions, exhibits a model where freedom propels progression. This liberation is highly noticeable in the spread of stellar, micro-businesses, led often by women.

These ventures are more than simple economic activities, they're acts of empowerment - showcasing the crucial role women execute in Cuban society.

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's thoughts on small business are very relevant here, "Small enterprises are a reservoir of creativity and innovation, and they are crucial in the development of economies aiming for high growth and more equity." In Cuba, these micro-businesses notable contribute to societal flexibility and economic diversification, allowing the country to alleviate some of the impacts of international sanctions.

Healthcare and Education Advances

Cuba's dedication to healthcare and teaching stands as a primary part of its national identification. The nation's medical innovations, such as leading the fight against yellow fever and creating COVID-19 vaccines, highlight its resilience and capability against any odds. These contributions have not only improved Cubans' life quality, but also extended assistance to countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The island’s educational feats are just as impressive. The Cuban Revolution greatly influenced these, which prioritized education. The establishment of the esteemed University of Havana in 1728, followed by the continued emphasis on education throughout the island reflects a deeply rooted belief in the transformative power of knowledge, whatever that knowledge may be - corn-growing or salsa-dancing.

Cultural Resilience and Worldwide Solidarity

Despite a severe economic US embargo estimated to have caused $600 billion damage over 65 years, Cuba, developed a wildly diverse cultural landscape! More or less 3,000 institutions devoted to the arts, music, and culture underline the nation's persistence in preserving its cultural wealth and personality! Fidel Castro's belief that, "The risk of being ridiculous is taken by the true revolutionary with great love," reverberates throughout Cuba’s efforts to keep its revolutionary spirit alive despite facing noteworthy hardships.

Further, Cuba's globally humanitarian contributions - mainly in healthcare, mirror Nobel Prize victor Toni Morrison's endorsement, "I have seen the doctors from Cuba; they go places where nobody else will go." Such comments highlight Cuba’s international health diplomacy role and its commitment to giving its medical expertise with the world.

Endurance Despite Adversity

Much like the zealous pineapple thriving on the beach, Cuba's experience under the US embargo echoes historical narratives of endurance and faith, such as those of Job, Daniel, Joseph, and the Israelites under Egyptian slavery. Much like all these characters, Cuba stands determined despite severe trials.

The End

Cuba's unyielding spirit presents itself as an inspiration cornerstone. Not only for its countrymen, but for its Caribbean vicinity and other emerging countries. With global problems like climate change becoming more urgent, Cuba's methods to sustainable development and social empowerments offer valuable resilience and innovation lessons. The people's unyielding determination assures us that, "this too shall pass," strengthening the island’s potential for a brighter, more prosperous future. United and working collectively, we can utilize Cuba’s resilience to achieve our community's prosperity and wellness aims.

Source

45 Percent of Prime Working Age Women (ages 18-44) will be Single by 2030 - the Largest Share in History

THE ERA OF FEMALE LONELINESS IS COMING!

By: Professor Gilbert Morris

One must approach these subject matters with some intellectual discipline. What this data is…is not an attack on women. Second, it does not equate singleness with loneliness…because that’s silly.

This is a demographic and sociological problem at scale, which we see in dying villages in Japan (owing to ageing) and in China and India (owing to high concentrations of males).

Econometric analysis says a 17% demographic distribution in age or gender in a civilization, is a downward slope to toward extinction.

The difference in demographics in youth, because it posits potential, which neither age nor gender properness.

Therefore, this is not some happy notion of a gigantic global “girls night out”. This is a premonition of misery.

That is not because these data suggests conventional marriage. But rather, the social formations in which gender distributions ebbs beyond 17% comparatively, also points to shrinking capacity, creativity and resources.

This is why this study has been carried out by a bank. Because projecting an economic future, they can forecast the social entropy, dislocation and systems failures already emerging from this phenomenon.

Source / Comment

1 in 3 women abused worldwide

BY CORY COUILLARD

PHYSICAL or sexual violence affects more than one in three women worldwide, according to a new report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partnering health authorities. The report represents the first systematic study of global data on the prevalence of violence against women.

"Some 35 per cent of all women will experience either intimate partner or non-partner violence," says the report. Additionally, 38 per cent of all women murdered were reportedly killed by their partners, and such violence is a major contributor to depression, alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and abortions.

"These findings send a powerful message that violence against women is a global health problem of epidemic proportions," said Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO. "We also see that the world's health systems can and must do more for women who experience violence."

Health impacts of violence

Violence in the home is a major contributor to women's mental health. The report found women who experienced partner violence to be nearly twice as likely to experience depression. Further, mental health disorders are skyrocketing as children view the abuse and it becomes a generational acceptance.

About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Around 20 per cent of the world's children and adolescents are estimated to have mental disorders or problems. Stigma about mental disorders and discrimination often prevents people from seeking mental health care.

"Women experiencing intimate partner violence are almost twice as likely as other women to have alcohol-use problems," according to the WHO.

Alcohol use has short and long-term health consequences. It's a leading cause of depression and other mental health conditions as well as sexually transmitted infections. Women who experience physical and/or sexual partner violence are 1.5 times more likely to acquire syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea or HIV.

Additionally, violence is a leading cause of unwanted pregnancy and abortion. The report found that women experiencing physical and/or sexual partner violence are twice as likely to have an abortion. If the female carries to term, they have a 16 per cent greater chance of having a low birth-weight baby -- a leading cause of infant mortality and complications.

"This new data shows that violence against women is extremely common. We urgently need to invest in prevention to address the underlying causes of this global women's health problem," said Professor Charlotte Watts, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"Gender-based violence is responsible for the psychological distress, which results in acceptance, which results in more violence, and consequently, more psychological distress: a cycle of risk and consequence," said Rachel Jewkes from the South African Medical Research Council.

Psychological distress and alcohol use also makes it much harder for women to protect themselves. It makes them more likely to accept the man's dominance in the relationship and she is more likely to have frequent sex without a condom, explains Jewkes.

Women often suffer isolation, inability to work, loss of wages and lack participation in activities. These common outcomes will prevent and limit a woman's ability to care for herself and her family.

Sadly, a common side effect of abuse is more abuse - It's a downward spiral.

Dr Cory Couillard is an international health care speaker and columnist for numerous publications throughout the world. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organisation's goals of disease prevention and global health-care education. drcorycouillard@gmail.com. twitter: DrCoryCouillard

June 26, 2013

Jamaica Observer

Bahamas Blog International

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and look forward to the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas...We must examine the role that the Bahamian woman plays in the social and economic development of our nation - The Bahamas... ...We must encourage our Bahamian women who feel trapped ...to take the limits off of their minds and become innovative to find ways to progress economically

Economic empowerment for women through entrepreneurship

By Melisa Hall

Nassau, The Bahamas

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and look forward to our 50th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas, we certainly salute, honor and recognize all of those Bahamian pioneers and trailblazers who have made significant strides and accomplishments that we the women of the 21st century are beneficiaries of.

As we continue to cherish the historic moments, successes, victories and challenges they overcame to empower women socially, economically, politically and nationally, it is only fitting that we also use this occasion to take an introspective look and evaluate where we are on the global scale of economic empowerment for women.

We must examine the role that the Bahamian woman plays in the social and economic development of our nation.   Here are a few questions we should consider:

• Are we consistent carriers of a progressive movement towards educating, enhancing and empowering our women to have a voice across the board in all equal facets of the economy?

• In what ways can we continue to contribute to the development of our younger generation to appreciate and value the significance of the Bahamian woman?

• What role is the government playing in developing and creating initiatives to empower and promote the advancement of women and is this an area that is often overlooked?

• Are there others mechanisms we can implement corporately or individually to open avenues for women to succeed?

Over the past few years and in recent times I have had the privilege and opportunity to meet so many women while hosing the annual business conferences for women, namely Kingdom Women in Business (KWIB).

What was and still is apparent to me is that most of these women sincerely aspire to be and do more for themselves professionally and economically, but oftentimes regardless of their marital status be it single or married, many of them feel trapped, restricted and prohibited; trapped in abusive relationships, restricted by their social peers and prohibited by their male counterparts especially in the workplace.   In most cases they simply feel financially bound.

We must therefore train and teach our youth and adult women, especially those who have found themselves in a pit, that through the power of God, belief in themselves along with timely information, tools and initiatives that there is a way to the palace.

As we can see from our heroines like Dame Doris Johnson, Mary Ingraham, Mabel Walker, Georgianna Symonette, Eugenia Lockhart, Althea Mortimer, Albertha Isaacs, Grace Wilson, Mildred Moxey, Ethel Kemp, Gladys Bailey and Madge Brown, Janet Bostwick, just to name a few, the road and journey was not easy but it is possible to make significant achievements as a woman.

We must continue to advocate for equal opportunities for women socially, economically, politically, constitutionally, corporately, nationally and most certainly legally.   We must encourage our Bahamian women who feel trapped to take the limits off of their minds and become innovative to find ways to progress economically.

Personally, I want to challenge every woman who may feel suppressed, oppressed and depressed to use this time of reflection to position yourself to succeed.

One of the ways you can do this is through entrepreneurship.   Entrepreneurship, while challenging, will build your confidence and will definitely teach you the art of becoming economically empowered.

Here are three preliminary steps you can take towards becoming an entrepreneur.

1. Discover your purpose: Take an inventory and assessment of your skills, gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses.   Be true to yourself and identify what it is you were born and created to do.   This is usually something you are really good at or would even enjoy doing even if you did not get paid to do it.   There is indeed something unique inside of you.

2. Have a plan and a vision: Imagine where you would want to be in the future and create a step by step process to get there.   Remember there is a process.   Know where you are and seek help through a mentor, coach or professional who can help you to get where you want to be.   This also means that you must count the cost, don’t just quit your job but create a financial plan towards starting your business.

3. Be prepared and persistent: Go back to school if you have to, become educated and qualified if necessary and attend training sessions that will enhance you.   Begin to hunt and gather information about what you want to do.   Be real and find out if there is really a need for your product or service, and don’t quit.   If our forerunners have done it, you can too.

In closing, as we continue to stand on the shoulders of those who have paved the way forward, we must remain confident in the ability that God has placed on the inside of each of us to bring transformation to build our nation and become economically empowered as women through entrepreneurship.

  • Melisa Hall is an attorney, advocate for women’s empowerment and business coach who hosts monthly workshops for women.

You may contact her at 341-2204, or reach her via Facebook.

Mar 08, 2012

thenassauguardian

The modern Caribbean woman -- she is every woman; a phenomenal woman; and a woman of class and stature

Who is the modern Caribbean woman?

By Julie Charles

Although she is born and bred in steep tradition filled with a rich culture and heritage, there is much that the Caribbean woman carries on her platter.  Should she be a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, modern day professional, and the defender of her culture or is her role one of revolutionising the expectations?

Today’s Caribbean woman has evolved into a superwoman, carrying the burdens of society on her shoulders much like her ancestors did before her but with additional responsibilities.  She is a decision maker in government, head of financial institutions, and CEO of mighty conglomerates, yet still she is expected to be wife and mother, friend and counsellor, spiritual guide and all around guru for all that ails the nations.

Can she really fulfil this enormous task?   

She already has with her, strength and intelligence, mixed with good old fashion common sense.   She has forged ahead while her other worldly counterparts are still wondering where to begin.

How does she accomplish so much, yet able to raise a nation?  Simply by allowing the wisdom of the mother, grandmother, aunts, and other elders filter through her.  She understands fully that she is nothing without her heritage or her ancestors.  She infuses what she knows with what she continues to learn and makes her decisions.   She then monitors the situation until a better solution can be found and then she implements.  She appears fearless when it comes to living and, although fear is necessary to remain alert, she understands that fear is a healthy emotion and uses it wisely.

Can she stand the test of time?  Not only can she stand the test but she can pass with flying colours.  Why? Because her character is made of strongest steel, her mind is as sharp as the sharpest cutlass, her body is well taken care of and her spirit is the core of who she really is.   Her spirit is resilient, no matter the obstacles.  It is constantly fed by her beliefs, which were ingrained in her as a child but has carried her through to womanhood. She is indeed invincible, for no matter the situation or circumstance, the modern Caribbean woman does not falter.  She may buckle but she does not fall.

Am I only speaking of a professional woman?   No, this refers to all Caribbean women, as they are special women found nowhere else in the world.  They are all shades of brown and black, they are of many different shapes, they are from many backgrounds but one thing makes them unique and that is they are uniquely Caribbean.  Their skin bathed by the warm Caribbean sun, their eyelashes brushed by the Caribbean breeze, and their hearts warmed by the love of their country.

Caribbean women for many years carried the weight of their communities on their shoulders and it was a responsibility that they readily accepted.  They were able to shape the society and teach boys how to become men.  This mantle has now been passed on to the modern Caribbean woman. She has to fulfil all that is expected of her.

The expectations are:

• She is to raise her children to be meaningful contributing adults
• She is to ensure that her husband is taken care of
• She is to take care of her aging parents and relatives
• She is expected to be a good friend and confidant
• She is expected to excel at her job whatever it may be – from office attendant to prime minister
• She is expect to continue learning no matter the format
• She is expected to volunteer of her time and resources to ensure that her community remains healthy and safe
• Her spiritual life must be healthy so that she can provide guidance to those in need
• She is expected to take care of her health so that she does not inherit those known Caribbean diseases should as hypertension, diabetes, and most recently HIV/AIDS
• Finally, she is expected to have some fun through music and dance. It was embedded in her to enjoy the riddims of the drums and ring out in all Caribbean music.

The modern Caribbean woman is a woman who is light years ahead of her time.  She is a pepper pot of modern day teachings with old people sayings.  She loves fully and is not afraid or ashamed to show it.  Her beliefs have been instilled in her as a child and they have not departed but rather, they have gotten stronger with each passing day. She knows that modern technology has its place in her world, but she will never forsake her old teachings and remedies.  She is an eclectic mix of the old and the new worlds.

The modern Caribbean woman -- she is every woman; a phenomenal woman; and a woman of class and stature.

February 18, 2012

caribbeannewsnow

Jamaica: When a married women is raped

Se-Shauna Wheatle, Contributor:

More than 10 years after the commencement of discussions on the reform of Jamaica's sexual offence laws, a new law is finally on the books.  But what has emerged from the decade of deliberations and delay?

Significant strides have undoub-tedly been made in the areas of carnal abuse and rules relating to the conduct of trials of alleged sexual offences.  Yet, the law does not go far enough to reform offensive legislation that prevents successful prosecution of offenders and fails to offer adequate protection to victims of sexual violence.  In particular, the current provision on marital rape is inconsistent with national and international developments towards gender/sex equality and with the autonomy of women.

Law Before the Sexual Offences Act

In 1736, Sir Matthew Hale wrote: "The husband cannot be guilty of a rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for by their mutual matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given herself up in this kind unto her husband ... ."

Based on this declaration, the law has for centuries recognised a 'marital exem-ption' according to which a husband could not be convicted of raping his wife.  This law represented an archaic and dangerous view that when a woman marries, her separate identity ceases to exist and she becomes part of the entity of her husband, or, as Sir William Blackstone put it, when marriage occurs, the man and woman become one flesh and that flesh is male.

Catharine MacKinnon has correctly characterised this "marital exemption" as resting on "the theory that marriage creates an irrebuttable presumption of consent". Over the years, the courts have chiselled out certain circumstances in which a man could be convicted of raping his wife, and in 1992, there was a significant development in the law as the House of Lords in the United Kingdom condemned marital exemption as "anachronistic and offensive" and effectively abolished it in the case of R v R.

With that decision, the common-law position in the UK, which the Privy Council (Jamaica's final court of appeal) would arguably have recognised as the common-law position in Jamaica, was that there was no distinction between marital rape and other forms of rape.

The Sexual Offences Act, 2009

The Sexual Offences Act presented a golden opportunity for the Jamaican Parliament to crystallise the common-law position in statutory form and, thereby, show greater respect for a woman's dignity and for her concomitant right to equality regardless of marital status.  This opportunity was missed, as the legislature confined the circumstances in which there could be a conviction for marital rape to circumstances that existed before the 1992 R v R decision.

Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act of Jamaica only recognises the offence of marital rape where the spouses have separated and are living separately and apart; where there's a separation agreement between the spouses; where either party has initiated divorce proceedings; where an order has been made against the husband for the protection of his wife; or where the husband knows that he is suffering from a sexually transmitted infection.

When we take stock of the developments in this area of law, it appears that what Parliament has accomplished with respect to marital rape is actually a retrograde step which fails to adopt laws that offer greater protection for the women of this country.  The result is that the law still regards a married woman as having signed away some of her rights to her bodily integrity. Her husband can have forced sexual intercourse with her with impunity unless there has been some lasting or formal rupture of marital consortium.

Evidence

It has been argued that it is necessary to restrict the circumstances in which marital rape can occur because of the difficulty in gathering evidence and convincing juries or judges that rape has indeed taken place.  Jennifer Temkin has indicated that this argument is unconvincing, as there are other offences that are classified as crimes despite the difficulty of proving the offence.

A case in point is that of date rape, or rape where a couple is cohabiting.  In those circumstances, it may be difficult to prove the offence, yet the law rightly regards rape in those circumstances as an offence. Moreover, the circum-stances listed in the act appear to be instances in which one can argue that there is a breakdown in the marriage and that, therefore, a wife ought not be assumed to have consented to sexual intercourse. Accordingly, the circumstances rest on and seem to glorify the archaic premise that a woman gives her consent to each act of sexual intercourse with her husband and that this consent is only deemed to have been revoked in very limited circumstances.

The 'Family Sphere'

Other arguments in favour of limiting the circumstances in which marital rape is recognised as an offence can be found, but space does not permit a response to each. One that I would like to briefly comment on is the argument that criminal law is not the appropriate sphere to address 'family matters', particularly where the intervention of the law may thwart the spouses' reconciliation.  It should be recognised by now that this is a spurious objection, in light of the availability of protection under the Domestic Violence Act for wives who become victims of abuse, in light of the consideration that it is dubious that it is in the best interests of a woman and/or her family to remain married to a person who has committed a sexual assault against her, and in light of the fact that a cohabiting spouse may be convicted for rape despite the cohabiting couple having a family.

The rebuttal of these and similar arguments for retaining the marital exemption prompted countries such as the United Kingdom and South Africa to end the distinction between marital rape and other instances of rape.

Absurd Distinctions

The unreasonableness of distinguishing between marital rape and other instances of rape is borne out when we compare the position of 'common-law spouses' and 'traditional' spouses. Under the act, a woman who has been cohabiting with a man for five years or more, and who the law regards in other contexts as the common-law wife of the man in question, will receive greater protection under the act than a woman who has undergone a marriage ceremony.

This anomaly also serves to underscore that the limitation of the circumstances in which prosecution of marital rape can occur is not for purely evidential reasons but, rather, a symbol of the perpetuation of the belief that when a woman marries, she thereby surrenders control over her body and her sexual autonomy.

Harm to Women

In addition to defying logic, the distinction perpetuated by the Sexual Offences Act produces harm to two classes of women. First, it potentially harms married women who are victims of rape at the hands of their husbands but who are not entitled to prove the offence in court and thereby obtain the protection.  Second, it potentially harms the general female populace by sending the message that women do not have complete control over their sexual engagement.

The European Court of Human Rights has held that states party to the European Convention on Human Rights have a "positive obligation" to criminalise "all forms of rape" and has referred to the marital exemption as an "unacceptable idea" which was inconsistent with a "civilised concept of marriage" and with "respect for human dignity".

It is conceivable that an argument could be mounted that the Jamaican Constitution or the soon-to-be-enacted Charter of Rights mandates criminalisation of acts of marital rape as rape.  This would be consistent with developments towards greater gender/sex equality.

Conclusion

Our nation has made significant strides in the advancement of women's equality, particularly in education and in the workplace, but we must not misconstrue this as an indication that we have achieved equality of the sexes.  We must come to terms with the fact that women's equality includes the eradication of violence against women.  It is instructive that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women regards gender-based violence as an act of discrimination.

Until we change the law's treatment of female victims of violence and transform our society's attitudes towards gender-based violence, we still have not achieved full equality for women in Jamaica.

Se-Shauna Wheatle, Jamaica's 2008 Rhodes Scholar and co-president of the Black Association of Rhodes Scholars, is reading for a Master of Philosophy in Law degree at the University of Oxford. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

April 11, 2010

jamaica-gleaner