Whereas gender inequality, according to what I learnt in the FOUN 1101 course, refers to the unequal treatment of an individual or individuals based on their gender (male and female).

This gender inequality, was prevalent in society since times dated way back to the 1800s, all around the world.

Besides society in general, this gender inequality was also seen ever prominent on the sugar plantations during slavery as well as the Caribbean in general.

When looking at this inequality, which started way back, in the times of the Caribbean Neo-Indians, where the men were usually leaders and breadwinners, and women were used for reproduction purposes as, well as for domestic purposes such as  chores like cooking and cleaning and raising children.

This male supremacy was also seen during slavery, where the white managers had total control over the plantation’s management with no input or help from the women, this is so as their opinion was deemed as inferior, since they were women. This was greatly described in chapter five of Beyond Massa written by Dr. Campbell.

Also alluding to gender inequality was the treatment of  the enslaved themselves, where women were mainly used for their reproductive purposes. This inferiority to men can also be seen where, after some time even the enslaved men were allowed to climb the ladder of power, to positions of more stature, while women were not allowed to do so. This too can be seen in Beyond Massa. 

At, present women in the Caribbean have broken the glass ceiling :an intangible barrier within a hierarchy that prevents women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions. (Meriam Webster Dictionary.) This advancement, therefore seeks to shatter the archaic stereotype, where women are seen as inferior to men.

An example of a woman breaking the glass ceiling and moving towards gender equality, is Mrs. KamlaPersad-Bissesar, who was the first female Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago, another woman whom should be highly recognized, Miss. Portia Simpson Miller, who was also the first female prime minister in her country of Jamaica.

In continuing other than, these two women, most women in the Caribbean are no longer held back from achieving their goals, due to these advancements. Women all over the region are beginning to hold high positions in company as well as are able to excel in their studies, as can be seen in the dominance of female intelligence at both the CAPE and CSEC level, especially in Trinidad and Tobago, not to mention the increased amounts of female graduates at the tertiary level.

Video Citation :
Persad-Bissesar, Kamla. "Kamla Persad Bissessar Five Years of Leadership in Trinidad & Tobago"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOywDJSLWaI , 2015.

One line which grabbed my attention from the article published by the Jamaican Observer written by Nadine Wilson is, “Gender inequality remains deeply entrenched in every society. Women lack access to decent work and face occupational segregation and gender wage gaps. They are too often denied access to basic education and health care,“

This line was able to encapsulate two of the main issues which women in the Caribbean still face today. occupational segregation, where tasks are distributed based on gender, for example men given positions of power, while women are given jobs such as secretary or assistant  and the second issue, gender wage gaps, were men are paid more than women for the same job or task.
Article Citation:
Wilson, Nadine. "Gender Inequality Still A major Problem." The Jamaican Observer ,  2011.

To learn/ re-learn as well as gain a deeper appreciation for , the history and culture of the Caribbean. 

I also expected, to gain a better understanding of what has happened in the past, to lead us to what is present and what may happen in the future of the Caribbean

In addition, I also expected this course to contribute in achieving my personal goals as well as contribute to Caribbean the region.