With the recent observance of International Women’s Day and Commonwealth Day which comes under the theme “Women as Agents of Change,” coupled with the historic crowning of Dominica’s first female Calypso Monarch last week, Dominican women have increasingly been calling for their own uprising in various sectors which were previously oppressed.
Some have even sought to relate the recent occurrences as signs of the times and the need for female domination.
However, one local religious leader here has spoken against gender battles and the domination of any one gender and is instead preaching equality and fair treatment for all.
Reverend Carlwin Greenaway, who spoke at a special service to observe Commonwealth Day on Monday, said that he does not support women being elected into positions just because it is “woman time.” He believes that their position should be gained based on ability to perform.
“You must not agree that a woman should become prime minister or the president of Dominica at anytime simply because we think it is “woman time.” Support should be given because as a people Dominicans decide that at a particular point in time it is a particular woman in the nation who is willing able and is the best person for the job. Not that it is a woman but that the men and women of the nation alike agree that the best person for the job happens to be a woman,” he stated.
He continued, “That is in the same way that the people may think and decide that a particular man is the best person for the job at a particular point in time. The time has come for us to stop making excuses for conflicts and dominance. We do not need a battle of the sexes but for greater sense of unity for the advancement of all and for the fulfillment of God’s purpose in the lives of ours. That is for both males and females.”
He called on both men and women in society to change their mindsets and support the cause for equality.
“In this regard, as we see after change, our men must change their mind sets and support the cause for equality and our women as agents of change must change their mind set as well,” he said.
WHAT IS ALL THAT BRUHAHA OVER THIS EMPTY SONG ‘WOMAN’S TIME;’ DOMINCANS YOU ALL ARE VERY BACKWARD IF IT IS GOING TO TAKE A NOTHING SONG TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WOMAN’S TIME HASHAPPENED LONG LONG AGO. FROM THE MOMENT ROSA PARKS REFUSED TO GIVE HER SEAT TO A WHITE MABN AND FROM THE MOMENT INDIRA GHANDI BECAME E PRIME MINISTEROF INDIA. BHUTU WAS THE PM OF PAKISTAN; GERMANY HAS MERKLE; AUSTRALIA HAS A FEMALE PM. JAMAICA HAD A FEMALE PM ALSO. WE HAD OUR VERY OWN MAMO. AMELIA EARHART WAS THE FIRST FEMALE TO FLY AN AIRPLANE AND SHE DID IT SOLO. CONDOLEEZA RICE WAS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE SECRETARY OF STATE. HILARY CLINTON RAN FOR THE TOP POSITION IN AMERICA. SO WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL OVER TAHSA’S WEAK SONG? MAYBE DOMINCAN WOMEN ARE NON-ACHIEVERS THAT IS WHY THEY ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SONG. WOMEN HAVE TRANSCENDED GENDER STRUGGLE LONG AGO. LONG THEY HAVE LIVED UP TO THE TERM WOMAN’S TIME. SOME DOMINCAN WOMEN USE SOMETHING ELSE TO SPUR YOU ON TO GREATNESS.
God is going to punish thoes so called priest, parsons and preachers, they know things aer not right yet they keep their mouth shut, which means that they are in agreement with the wrongs thats going on I have no respect for thyem,
you the priest pastors and so on only concern is our spiritual growth ok so that’s their job to preach the bible and about Christianity to us and that’s their only concern our spiritual growth … they cant go about preaching about politics ok preaching about politics will not do any thing for our spiritual growth you understand its us citizen to stand up and exercise our democratic rights not the priest pastors or ministers they shouldd not get invovle in those things they only concern should me about our relationship with god
@marcella
what planet are you from. so it’s allright for men to deliver your little babies.. to explore you private areas when you go for examination, to check your breast for irregular masses to be the highest paid chefs and hair stylist out there,ar to be some of the designers of womens we to get higher salries when employed as registered nurse or any other profession that women dominates.
it is quite ok for a man to bath his daugher up to a certain age and please tell me wht is wrong in combing his daughter’s hair.
you need to take a trip to planet earth
oops to be some of the best designers of womens clothes
I guest you are one of the woman that playing man,sad for you.but again the devil lives is a lot of us.
Reverend Calwyn Greeanaway, I am in agreement with you here
It is true that God Almighty is of Love–Spirit,Truth, and Holiness–which does not claim a gender. But this Person of Love, who is Jesus Christ, called Himself the Son of Man, and as a Son, He referred to the One, who He also declared to have sent Him, as Father. As Christians, we think of this Father of Jesus Christ, as our sovereign God–the One with Eternal authority over us. Jesus also proclaimed that He was a King, but that His Kingdom was not of this world.
However, God formed man in His Image, and having breathed His Likeness–Life–into that man, He suggested that this man should not live alone, so He formed a woman-female–out the man’s body. And God said: “Therefore, man shall leave his father and mother to be joined to his wife, and they shall become ONE in flesh” Genesis 2: 24 This means that God intended that man and woman share equal privilege of authority, at the demand of leadership.
Just as David was King over the nation of Israel for forty years, so was Esther, for a perioid of time. Just as God worked through Moses, to save the nation of Israel, so did He work through Mary, to bring forth the Man of Jesus Christ, who would die to save the world.
May we strive to dismiss the idea that man–the male person–was born to be in sole control. But also, let us not become conformed to the idea, that it is now time for woman–the female person–to take over in authority. But let us appoint the person–male or female–who demonstrates best, the necessary qualifications, to be appointed as leader or be placed in authority over the functions of community or our country.
Liz, do not agree with that guy and the bunk he is talking, about qualification: if that’s his philosophy then perhaps he can tell us the reason why there are so many unqualified persons holding civil service positions who are not halfway qualified to be in the position which they hold at this very moment in our country.
Ask him about the so called people in the medical profession at home who should not be practicing medicine, because they do not know what they are doing!
Ask him if he had a relative, who was discharged from the Princes Margaret Hospital, sent home without any blood in her, when in fact she should be given a blood transfusion, ask him to state if he believes that such so called doctors a qualified to practice medicine?
Ask Carlwin Greenaway, why is that if a person has one defective kidney, and one functioning, properly, why is it the overqualified doctors at the Princes Margaret Hospital, did not know to remove the defective kidney, thus allowing the functioning kidney to operate normally, by leaving the defective kidney, in someone cause the lady to die, after the defective one caused the functioning kidney to deteriorated, and killed her.
And if he wants the names of victims, I can lay them on his pulpit.
There are Lawyers, who practices law in Dominica, who could not operate in America as a paralegal never mind passing the law exam here to practice law, yet this man speaks of ” women ” must be qualified!
Our entire system is swamp with unqualified personal in every category imaginable, and I did not mention some of the politically appointed ones!
Liz, just because a man has a black or white collar around their necks, does not mean you have to agree with what they say especially when their motive is political.
The duty , and responsibility of a preach, and that is assuming he is called by the Almighty to preach his word: that preacher’s job is to preach the word of God only, and stay clear of any form of political speeches, Carlwin can maintain his political ideology, but need to keep his politics to himself.
This man is a politician, and he say’s things he believe will influence the unsuspecting!
And Carlwin, if you ever wish to know who I am giving you hell, all you have to do is ask your Superindant Evans Dodds, or ritired James Thimothy, and they will tell you about this little by Son, from Wesley.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I agree am a woman and I don’t think that it had to take Tasha P song to big woman up.please woman has there place in life,yes not only for the kitchen or to make babies.but woman should know their place,I am a teacher and I do think that i am helping my husband, we both work, but my husband is the head of the house hold,
my kids i take care of them, both my husband and my self.
what u want to tell me is a man should comb his young daughter hair or bath his daughter. or when she ask him about her period he should be the one to tell her please.lets not get head over hills.
woman should have a good education, a job, but never try to take the place of a man.that is why this world is like this, woman living their man for a next woman,
so with tasha p song what i think is woman can do what ever they want to do,but they have to no their place is to be a woman and stand next to a man. not behind or in front him but next to him this is how the almighty God made it.
If the reverend had instead said that “blacks” should be equal to other races, I should hope everyone would agree. But he said the sexes, and I agree that anyone–regardless of sex, race, sexuality, whatever–who is mentally and/or physically fit for a job should be chosen for it.
Biologically speaking, human males tend to be larger and stronger than females, but this is pretty much where it ends. Intellectually, an educated woman is no different from an educated man. Any differences are individual and/or genetic, as opposed to sex-based. If the history of intellectual thought has relatively few females in it, this is not because women had nothing to say. Rather, it is because they lived in crude societies where they were not ALLOWED to say anything, to develop as any normal human should. As a few comments above show, some Dominicans seem content to hold women down in the name of religion–which is simply another reason that such beliefs cannot work in a progressive society–but more on that later. Unless we allow everyone to develop equally, we will never see what everyone is capable of, and we will continue to be bound by ancient laws that should have no bearing in a civilized society.
Let everyone who is fit for work, regardless of race or sex, be chosen for what they wish to do.
women were made to cook,clean and make babies
that is how u think u dont need a woman u not even saying they were made to be love lol
The rev. is right. People should be appointed on merit and merit alone. Gender does not come into it and we could spend our time more productively than arguing which gender is superior to the other. It were my father and mother who raised me in harmony and as far as I’m concerned it has always been woman-time and man-time, each contributing to the best of their ability but on a basis of equality and true partnership.
Woman can never be the head….I am a woman and I love the song ‘Woman Time’ but woman were not made to rule…..I agree with the Reverend.
the reverend never said women were not made to rule. anybody who can do a job should do it regardless of……anything. god made all of us equal, men as well as women can be leaders. wake up, smell the coffee, and live up to your full potential as a woman!!
Men and women need to firstly understand their responsibilities and rights then fulfill them to the best of their ability. Men and women are equal in the sight of the Most High.
Before, we had healthy families, marriages lasting for life. There was an atmosphere of love and virtues. People understood and practiced in their daily lives the true meaning of sacrifice in order to uphold their families.
Today unfortunately, our psyche has been destroyed. It is pointless to blame the white man or external influences. We have to take responsibilty for the family breakdown in our society. Evil is out there, however, good always overcome evil.
Do we want to strengthen our families? Do we want to work to repair the damage done to our society. I advise our Afro-Caribbean people here and abroad to read great articles from this site. It also speaks about marriage as well.
http://www.africankingdoms.com
before was better………………ok if you say so……………that’s why God rained brimstone on cities and that’s why he destroyed the earth with a flood, that’ why he ordered the killing of an entire community women children and animals included because things were so better back then.
you want women to go back in the past and be totally depended on men so that way whatever abuse they get from their spouse they have no other choice but to remain in the abusive ralationship………………….neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
you can have a perfect faimily if you simply obey God word that’s all it takes.
@ Wow: There is even more abuse of women today. What is the divorce rate in Dominica? Two years ago it was 1:3 marriages ended in divorce.
Secondly, there were no aids, cancer and all these complications we have today.
Thirdly, women are even more abused today. Many are sexually harassed on their jobs or they have to sleep with their ‘boss’ to get a higher position. Also, the same way women ‘depended’ on men, MEN DEPEND ON WOMEN TOO. Both tend to abuse each other if there is no fear of God.
Lastly how can one obey God by rebelling against His decree by placing men as leaders of the home? A country without a leader is bound to be in crumbles, so too, a home without a leader appointed by God is bound to be destroyed; satan becomes the head of that home.
Let us go back to the basics. it was always god’s intention for man to rule. the only time a woman should rule is if there is no man willing to rule, then we resort to a woman. Let woman take their rightful place and that is in the home. Maybe when this happens we will see a change in the society.
lol how we going to see a change when that is the way its always been. the change is happening now because women are coming out of the kitchen and doing more than what some ancient lunatics decided that they were limited to. I’m a man btw but i have worked with women who were way more competent than some of my male colleagues. but in the end the point is that which was made by the reverend. its about equality because giving someone something for free based on their sex is also discrimination
I totally agree with the reverend and I’m a woman.
lick to them good reverend,,,,, the mighty mamo did not need a song like ‘woman time’ to let her take the reigns of power for 15 yrs,,,, even if that she did not do squat jack for dominica,,,, but she had integrity which is seriously lacking,,,,, i’ve told that story many times n i’ll tell it for the 100th time n now second,,, i remember back in 1990 in a campaign rally in possie,,, mamo was speaking n tears was running down mamo face,,, the crowd was in a frenzy,,,, as a lil boy all i hearing people saying was ‘alas see mamo cry’,,,, the admiration we had for that woman not even skerro with all his acolytes can come close,,, back in school next day in calibishie,,,, all the students was talking about mamo,,, wat they heard or saw,,, i still remember seeing mamo visiting our school as she did in various schools on the island,,,, so in touch with the masses,,, now how much primary school children can tell u they have seen skerro or shake his hand,,, so ladies behave allu self,, women have always had opportunity in d/ca,,, wat u all want is for us men to just give allu just so,,, so long i hearing women taking over,, where it nah,,, allu doh take over yet,,,, stop being gullible the almighty didn’t design it that way,,, so keep dreaming,,, here a link of the iron lady,,,,MAMO!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEAfJJzXs3Q