By Vinette K. Pryce
Reform and a rethinking
in the way children are raised
became topical to an audience
in Jamaica when a government
minister said boys and girls are
being short-changed by parents
who apply different standards
— depending on their gender
— resulting with stereotyped
negative behavior.
Olivia Grange, minister of
Culture, Gender, Entertainment
and Sport said the pervasive
“idea of masculine identity”
attributes to high levels
of violence and particularly
gender-based violence on the
island.
In addressing issues related
to raising boys the minister
said: “This idea of masculinity
that we teach and enforce
causes men to see themselves
as strong and women as weak.
It makes them feel that they
are superior to women and
that they can own, control and
abuse women.”
She explained that the problem
starts early in the lives of
12 to 3 PM
children and can be attributed
to how parents choose to raise
boys.
“We tell them (boys) that
they must be masculine; and
that masculinity is the opposite
The Time is Nowow! PRESIDENT MARCIA V. KEIZS extends congratulations and invites
all students accepted to York College for Fall 2019 to attend the
Jamaica’s Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Olivia
Grange. Associated Press / Michel Euler
Accepted Students Receptionon Sunday, April 28th Noon to 3 pm
Learn about exciting research opportunities,
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Tour our modern 50-acre campus and speak with
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YORK COLLEGE! Atrium of the Academic Core Building,
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Contact the Admissions Office by visiting
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Free parking is available for this event.
Caribbean L 30 ife, April 19–25, 2019
of femininity. So they grow
up to reject feminine traits in
favor of masculine ones. They
must be tough. And we spend a
lot of time training them to be
tough. We punish them in certain
ways to toughen them up.
We drop lick pon dem — much
more than we do girls.”
Imposing her assigned
authority as gender minister
she emphasized that the effect
of attempts to toughen up
boys result in the “hardening
of our society; not only men,
but women who must assert
themselves in the face of male
aggression.”
She proposed a lasting and
practical solution to change
the way parents raise children,
particularly boys, who are currently
subject to violent beatings
as part of their upbringing.
She took the opportunity
to also plead to parents who
implement beatings as a means
of punishment of children.
“There is a saying, ‘don’t
spare the rod and spoil the
child,’ but, ladies and gentlemen,
I believe we should in
our new socialization of our
children, banish corporal punishment.”
The old-school method of
reprimand and punishment no
longer has a place in the society
she stated.
She condemned recent acts
of violence against women and
has urged Jamaicans to do
more to end the violence.
She cited the killing of Roulene
Clarke Cowan, a 42-yearold
woman who was recently
murdered by her spouse. She
explained that “intimate partner
violence is more common
than we are willing to admit.”
The police reported that the
victim was shot dead by her
husband, Patrick Cowan, who
later killed himself.
The following day, the police
reported another incident in
which a woman was attacked
by her common-law husband,
who later took his own life.
The woman was admitted to
hospital in a serious condition.
Jamaicans urged to refrain from
old way of raising children
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