Danielle Toppin writes from Jamaica. She has experience with gender and development, and will be covering reproductive health issues in the Caribbean and Latin America.
In a number of communities across the Caribbean, we have come to place an extremely high value on youth, moving away from traditions that elevated our elders to a place of respect, and in essence silencing their voices and increasing their vulnerability.
By emphasizing the social dynamics that often contribute to the transmission of HIV, policy planners and practitioners rightly see HIV as a social and development issue, not just as a health issue.
Recognizing the unique circumstances of children whose lives have been directly impacted by HIV, a number of worthwhile initiatives have been launched in Jamaica to address the issue.
A textbook that was allegedly proposed by the Jamaican Ministry of Education for inclusion in the home economics school curriculum made mention of same-sex unions and families, and a public outcry on the meaning of “Jamaican-ness” ensued.
No matter how we feel about adolescent sexuality, the fact remains: real girls and boys are choosing to, or being forced to, enter into sexual relationships every day. The stories are numerous. We need to listen.
Despite steps taken by many Caribbean nations towards ensuring women’s right to safely terminate their pregnancies, cultural debates which pit abortion against God omit two key factors from the debate: women’s right to choose, and the psychological, social and emotional impacts of their choices.
Art and advertising that play on concepts of sexual violence both feed and depend on a culture that normalizes sexual violence against women.
Will the newly-elected Jamaica Labor Party realize that gender equity and reproductive health care have significance for social and economic development?
Talking about men’s sexual health needs means being open about masculinity.
States, not necessarily women, win when medical technology invades every aspect of pregnancy and childbirth.
