Antigua and Barbuda parliamentarian and former government minister, Joanne Massiah, has that said in spite of their achievements, women continue to be under-represented in parliaments across the Caribbean.
She said this is a matter that has to be corrected.
Massiah, who was delivering a speech at the United Workers Party (UWP) “Women for Change Rally” in Calibishie on Sunday, said women are capable of making a high level of contribution in the region.
“Your history as Dominicans should erase any and all doubt because in 1980, as you very well know Dominica, despite all odds regional and global, you elected Dame Eugenia Charles as the first female prime minister of the Caribbean region,” she said. “But in spite of this achievement, women continue to be under -represented in our parliaments at the electoral level, both in Dominica, in Antigua and Barbuda, throughout the region and globally. We have to correct this.”
She added, “And I am sure you know across the globe women comprise in excess of 50 percent of membership in political parties but this has not translated into the increase in the number of women elected to parliaments. Across the region and Dominica, women participation in the electoral process as campaigners and voters has been historically high, yet this has not translated into an increase in the number of women sitting in our parliaments.”
Meantime, UWP candidate for the Paix Bouche Constisituency (which includes Calibishe), Eunica Anthony Victor stated at the rally that the party intends to review the Child Maintenance Act in Dominica.
“Team Dominica also intends to review the Maintenance Act and remove the cap of which magistrate may sanction a parent to pay maintenance,” she stated. “A maximum of $75 a week is not enough. That cannot be good, it is simply unacceptable in 2014 especially when we look at the earnings, the assets and lifestyle of some of the father and mothers. So this is something we really have to review and this is something we are really serious about.”
According to her, “No more should you go down to the Magistrate Court every month and line up for you to be told ‘he hasn’t paid yet.’ We are going to modernize this system.”
In fact, she noted, legislation will be passed directing all employers to order the payment of child maintenance. “So child maintenance for salary employees will be a mandatory deduction like social security,” she explained.
She encouraged fathers to take care of their children.
She also touched on agriculture revealing that the UWP have already committed to injecting “millions of dollars in that sector.”
“This will benefit the constituency by completing and rebuilding feeder roads, allocating more technical and extension officers and providing a ready market for our goods,” she said. “We will open up new areas for community expansion and village expansion projects, we will complete the resource centre in Paix Bouche, started more than 20 years ago, we will develop the sporting facilities in all three communities. More opportunities will be created in education and human resource development.”
Children needs shelter, eat drink wear etc. But I hope the court will first looked at there financial situation. Most men in Dominica don’t make 300 dollars are week.
I think to avoid this mess we woman should know who we are sleeping with and if just going there for fun protect our selves. But again our little island is so empty and need to be fulfill.
Plus we Dominica has to stop this biasness its 2018. For decade we have a government who we have given all of our our trust and is taking us for granted don’t we think it’s time to look on the other side and tell our selves that enough is enough. We need change.it is time for change take these covers off our eyes. This government doesn’t care about we the people. This government care about themselves. And is just laughing at our stupidity. Ask your selves why are we still under these tapolines ask our selves where all these money that was donated to help Dominica.please Dominicans wake up let’s don’t be the same people place…
I hope there is a DNA this is granted and the court is giving it too.
Mrs victor well said woman like u will stand for women in Dominica n god bless u to join the best team
Is a possibility uwp will win
Stop your nonsense!!
You are a mad person man…Stop what noncense??? TIME FOR A CHANGE…WE VOTING UWP!
I thought UWP was celebrating with Gaston Brown and the ALP? Now this heehee
but lennox linton called Dominican women prostitutes guess u didn’t hear one at all. Massiah I think eunika should brief u before u spoke on their platform about women in parliament in da ,because as we speak labour party has 4 women on their team and uwp has only 2. food for thought based on your statement in calibishie
Stop it list. Lennox asked that politicians stop prodtituting Dominican women and not the lie you are telling. By the way have you asked the PM about the demise of the AG marriage as placed on public record by Arthiie? Why not ask Blackmore about his baby? But you see slackness rampant amongst you all so cherry pick and twist .
Its a common thing today but its so disgracefull but lots of women in DA do Social Prostitution, its like buy me this, pay that bill, need to go to the Hair Dresser, do my nails pay me a drink, help me with my rent or if not my electric bill cause my meat will spoil on my fridge, Top Up, and what hurts you dont have no relationship with the magority of these women….Women go educate your self and find a J.O.B, BECOME INDEPENDANT, SKERRO HAVE TURNED YOU WOMEN THAT DO SOCIAL PROSTITUTION INTO BEGGERS…ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE, VOTE UWP
Quit lying, I was at the rally, and I sure as hell knows what he is saying to be true. I can testify to that… Lenox never called Dominican women prostiutes, he said that some of the leaders treat hem like prostitutes because they have to perform favors to get help…That what they train you guys to do, spread lies?
Shart, you should call Q95 to replay the tape for you but I do believe you don’t have common sense and English is not your first language So I wonder which Village in Dominica you have been living in for all these years.. Quit lying it’s unbecoming and if you have children how do you disciple then when you yourself lies.
only yesterday skerrit on his political platform making reference to sexy Dominican girls, is this respect?? a married man the primeminister, or is it an invitation to our daughters.
control your self man. jobs that is what these school leavers need not your adoration
I guess you have nothing else to comment on.
$75.00 per week is $300.00 per month. The average man makes $1,200.00 per month with rent, mortgage and other children to take care of plus other expenses.
Children are a blessing but wrap it up if you don’t have money to support a child
Well Citizen, I would say then the average man needs to control himself and plan his family wisely, before he decides to spread children all over the place, and leave their mothers without the economic and family support structure these children need if they are expected to grow into productive adults.
you’ve missed the point. what if the average man is married and has his two children with his wife?
You are talking about scoundrels when you speak of those with children all over the place, not ‘the average man’.
@huh? if he is married and committed to his family why should the courts have to order him to pay child support? May be we are missing each other’s points.
Anyhow…$75 a week per child is not enough to support any child. Children grow quickly, by the time you buy nido and pampers the money is done. If men don’t want to support children then they shouldn’t have them, plain and simple. And the onus is also on women to know who they sleeping with. While people do change, but one is clearly able to see a bum from a mile away…so before getting yourselves tangled up with a good for nothing, when you see him checking you out just tell him keep it moving. The global economy is too unstable to be having children and not being able to provide for them.