Government to target unemployment among women – PM

Skerrit

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says government is to introduce new innovative programs in the next financial year that will be targeting unemployment among women in Dominica.

Skerrit said his government is committed towards narrowing the unemployment gap in the country.

“We will be implementing several programs in the next financial year which will target unemployment, particularly among the women in Dominica. There are also various programs in the social welfare department, education, payment of grants to day care centers and free health care,” he said.

Skerrit, who made this disclosure on the Next Level radio program, said government will also continue several programs in its next financial year.

These programs, according to the Prime Minister, include ‘Yes We Care,’ the provision of concessionary and free inputs to farmers and small business unit.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

34 Comments

  1. Looking in from the outside.
    May 8, 2011

    How…..more hand outs?

  2. Truth
    May 7, 2011

    As the Chinese have established businesses that swamp Roseau and environs, how many women entrepreneurs would be able to set up business and compete? Many businesses owned and operated by Dominican women, which employed some of our women, have shut down, gone out of business as a result.

    $27,000,000.00 loaned to Dominica from China to build a State Palace aka State Malice. Priority should have been given to a more sustainable development strategy, implementing programmes and projects with that money that would employ our women, men and youth, enabling them to earn a decent living. But NO. The mentality, the policy is one of BEGGING, HANDOUTS, to boost somebody’s EGO. How many Dominican women will benefit either directly or indirectly when a Chinese Construction Co. is awarded the contract to build that Palace? No OPEN TENDER, so our local construction Co. that hav4e the ability and capacity to do that project had no chance to bid. Compare that scenario with a local Construction Co. doing that project. The money would circulate in our economy, Dominicans would be employed and so the families, wives, children, girlfriends of the men employed as construction workers would greatly benefit. Given that the Chinese Co. will be building that President Palace most of that $27,000,000.00 will be REPATRIATED back to China. Our Dominican women will LOSE OUT BIG TIME. Skerritt and his inefficient DLP Govt. refused to listen to the many concerns, suggestions from the Dominican public as regards using that money for more beneficial purposes. That Building of a President Palace cannot be PRIORITY at this time. Was Skerritt thinking of the Dominican women then?

    The Chinese are interested in buying the entire Public Works area to build a hotel as hinted by Skerritt. Bet your bottom dollar that the purchase by the Chinese will be a done deal. Skerritt and his DLP Govt. could have used the area instead to develop a Mall type complex, well designed and landscaped with a series of micro businesses operated and controlled by local entrepreneurs, Dominican women, men, youth. Small manufacturing, agro-processing, arts and craft production all locally made products using local materials could be displayed and sold in various outlets there.

    The Dominica National Council of Women (DNCW) has been requesting, pleading to Govt. for some sort of subvention to help the organisation do its work better for advocacy, setting up projects/ programmes for the upliftment of women. No response. NADA. RIEN. NOTHING. Dominican, BUT WAIT. What is the UNEMPLOYMENT STATS. among Men and women? What is it for the young people? Blank statements, no Substance, Vague, No Stats to give any indication of the unemployment figures to justify the statement. How will employment be created? What specific areas? How sustainable would those projects be? What about Gender Equality?

    So Skerritt just spews all sorts of wild things especially in these times when his head is enveloped, disturbed with so many controversial issues with which he has been involved in like DUAL CITIZENSHIP, OWNER OF VILLAS and many others Dominicans know about The Emmanuel vs. Isidore case and alleged $7,000,000.00 embezzlement, firebombing of Emmanuel’s home is also troubling for many.

  3. Optimist
    May 7, 2011

    It has taken 10 years on the job for the government to recognize the importance of job creation in the country. Action speaks louder than words so we will have to wait and see what initiatives are on the drawing board. The government has not said how it is going to tackle the problem. It has not given us statistics to justify the targeting of women. So let us see the data to support the justification for this initiative. More and more of our men are turning to drug trafficking and money laundering as a form of employment. Are we ok with this and therefore see women as the priority? We need a more comprehensive approach to tackling the unemployment problem. This should involve all the social partners. Let us also hope that this is not an election gimmick given the pending case in the courts. I sometimes wonder whether we have our priorities right, or are we just going with what is convenient at the time without any long term planning.

  4. Investor
    May 7, 2011

    Why would Skerrit talk of unemployment in Dominica when he dont support investors who come to do Business. Right now i know there is an investor who is brining 50 new jobs with more to follow and he has put a request for concession for the past 6months and is still waiting and now the investors are thinking of taking their business to Grenada and St kitts. They started the same time with Trinidad and got their ok months ago.

    We need investors in Dominica who are not Chinese who employ themselves

  5. Nuh paying down pan eyee
    May 7, 2011

    If one (female) can be paid 5000 sterling for a” bomb” It is clear females will seek employment from any source willing create & pay for it . So targeting unemployed women is a win win situation for the job creator.

  6. DominicaFirst
    May 6, 2011

    To Skerrit: Think With your Head brother, Not your Balls.

    To DNO: There is not foul Language Above

    TO The Ladies: With All Due Respect Ladies…. I believe Unemployment about men is higher in Dominica. So why is there emphasis being placed on women.

    TO The Brothers: There is not help for A brother Out there, just keep Getting in Trouble and ruinning your Futures. Keep Ya’ll head up Bros.

  7. MaryMary
    May 6, 2011

    Can we get a better pic of the PM please? Gosh man!

    • Davis Lee-Chein
      May 7, 2011

      Why? He getting fat in the face from all the good times.$$, all the sexy ladies /girls supporting DLP, General Taos chicken, Lo mein,orange flavored chicken,pork fried rice, etc for free and ice tea. what do you expect?Ask UWP guys when they were in power the favours received for duty free consessions.There are those who are enjoying the favours two times around.

  8. Freakie politics
    May 6, 2011

    Is this a version of dear bella? LMAO .I know of freakonomics now we have freak economics bella please help.All the sexy ladies supporting labour.

  9. Time will Tell
    May 6, 2011

    @believe in your self :

    I cant really believe you.. so you mean to say the reason you voted was because you wanted your house renovated? I thought voting was a democratic right and not a mango for tango business… no one forced you to vote .. you do it if you want to… you should be even ashamed to mention that here .. The gov’t must stop them give aways there and give along to those who really need , the less fortunate .. if you are strapping young person go and find work to do and stop waiting on the Gov’t to renovate your home .. stoping begging because you cast your vote .. if you are begging beg for the betterment of the country …

    • Eyes Wide Open
      May 6, 2011

      Belle beth…I gues you don’t know how the marjority out there are thinking. How you think that they got that 18-3 they are boasting about. It’s because a lot of people were promised things. That’s how politics is run in Dominica. When the association of journalists in Dominica had organized a debate for all three parties during elections, and the present government declined, everyone should have demanded that they take part. This is what we need in Dominica. Let them come out in organized debates and tell the people how they intend on bringing the country and economy forward, to the so called next upper level… But Dominicans don’t want that, the marjority don’t even read newspapers or listen to news. Ask the young people who just graduated schoola nd started working about the present day issues in their country and most can’t answer. So we be in Dca…

  10. Just
    May 6, 2011

    Mr. PM, charity begins at home. My suggestion is that you appoint a woman as vice PM. Have any of the ladies in your cabinet acted PM? The answer is NO. If you are serious about the role of women, in our society, you should begin with giving the competent ladies in your party and cabinet more leadership roles. (E.g. President Obama picked Mrs. Clinton to the Head State Department). Otherwise—you may be just giving lip service as you always do. Action and fewer words Mr. Skerrit will get you to the promise land. Otherwise blalblalalalala.

    • Eyes Wide Open
      May 6, 2011

      Well first of all there should be a woman with good leadership skills in the government and presently there is none that I can vouch for..

  11. laparole
    May 6, 2011

    put the women to work… .. the new breadwinners.. put the unemployed men who cant support their children in jail… tsk tsk…way to go skero.. at least give teh mean work and u’ll have a good reason to put them in jail for child maintainance

    • Crackernut
      May 7, 2011

      You all seem not to get it or just pretending. Just an example. Don’t ask don’t tell in DA is going down well with our straight males. Why more gay guys the more chicks for us the straight guys that’s how we think.So just apply this principle to the topic in question.Hope you all get the drift.

  12. tedash ( vex i vex)
    May 6, 2011

    This Man is a real joke or he is practicing Mcchiavellianism .. There exist unemployment left , right , center , and he is targetting one group. The census is not yet out how do he knows that there exist more unemployed women than men or is it the lack of innovative ways to create meanningful jobs means that the jobs they can think about is daycare workers and other forms of social work.

    boy boy boy…

    The farmers got money, they got fertilizers, dutyfree pickups and whats the result of the industry ..
    A failing industry. PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL SKERRIT THE FARMERS NEED MARKETS AND A IMPROVE MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

  13. Sprinter
    May 6, 2011

    Sometimes, I wonder if the PM think the most Dominicans are blind, deaf and dumb. Employment is an issue not only for women, but also for men. I wonder what jobs are going to be created for the women that the men cannot fill? I thought gender labelled jobs were a thing of the past. The PM need to stop thinking that we are idiots and get down to the reality of Dominica. Dominica needs industry, not merely call centers and the like, but industry that will allow for the production and distribution of some product that will bring financial benefit to the country and its people. Until, the government begins to speak of such; then, then what he has expresses is mere political rhetoric aimed at the gullible masses.

    • 'tis true
      May 6, 2011

      And industry needs to be created from within, not bestowed from without. Only then can we truly claim independence.

  14. Reader
    May 6, 2011

    Look like all the sexy men not supporting DLP lol! No Spreaddddddddddddddddddd Hugo Grotius
    I take it that male spreaddddddddddd is at Stock farm?

  15. Anonymous
    May 6, 2011

    pm skerrit needs to tackle the unemployment problem period!! all those dam projects you have chinese doing here and you people cannot get work. and women need to work side by side with the men. you all should go to places like india and see for yourselves

    and another thing mr pm. i blame you big time for harbouring such laziness in dominica. a woman even have to complain because you all did not renovate for her. what is wrong in her earning her keep? so every dam time her house needs renovating all you will do it? well if so what the hell some of us working hard for?

  16. moonwalk
    May 6, 2011

    That is good mr pm but you guys have not shown any effort towards the improvemt of employment in general. All we had is empty promises like night landing for example. Now that the cruise ship revenue. Has gone south show us how you intend to create employment for women. I am waiting on you bunch of f#######ing liars and pilferers

  17. believe in urself
    May 6, 2011

    i just hope, n exactly, thats true dnt forget abt the men, they r d ones who help cary the rocks doe there r many that don’t but remember if the man was not there , where would d woman come from!give jack his jacket n give jackline her lip stick OH PLEASE!!

  18. believe in urself
    May 6, 2011

    well that would be great but all this is just talk n more talk it’s been so long, i had been promised d renovation of my home, n i waited untill i cld take no more i had to tun away after i gave u all my vote, them politicians making like is a sacrifice they r making to u after u sacrifice ur vote to /for them!god must look in u all hearts to see whats really there awaiting we cuzz one day better must come u all are just trying to bobol some of us!! we still love u pm but plz render to us what is really to us, plz we r begging!!!! may godbless u pm; :-

    • Papa Dom
      May 6, 2011

      that right there is the problem! allu too like to beg and only vote for a party for selfish personal interests and not in the national interest.

    • FED UP DOMINICAN
      May 6, 2011

      Did you really vote DLP just to get your house renovated? Shame on you (and you’re still begging, sorry waiting). IF you had got your wish and your home was renovated, would you expect the PM to maintain it for you?

      I agree with Papa Dom, your vote should be for the nations interest.

  19. Hugo Grotius
    May 6, 2011

    :lol: Spreadddddddddd

    • Chavez??
      May 6, 2011

      Does dat go with “all the sexy ladies with labour?”Hugo chavez??

    • Proud West Indian
      May 6, 2011

      Unfortunately, no reliable employment data is currently available. The current census data being collected will allow for an accurate assessment of the employment situation for the first time. An estimate of 23% unemployment is often cited, however this figure is from the CIA world fact book from 1999. It was a best guess at the time and is not based on any empirical data.

  20. Truth B Told
    May 6, 2011

    Thank you PM, it is good to know that improving the employment situation is high on your agenda. It is also great to hear that your other successful initiatives will continue.

    Keep up the good work, the people of Dominica are with you!

    • Sprinter
      May 6, 2011

      He said employment for women. I guess he took care of employment for men already.

      • Self employed
        May 6, 2011

        he interested in the sexy ladies another inclination and signs of a dictator.

      • Just
        May 6, 2011

        Skerrit is just babababbabbbabinggggggggggggggggg.

  21. kalalee
    May 6, 2011

    what is the percentage of unemployed in dominica??

  22. wawww WAWW
    May 6, 2011

    jus now the men will cme here n say…”n wat about the men now?”

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available