Essay: “Women have played a crucial role in the development of Trinidad and Tobago.” How true is this statement?

The first thing that comes to mind when you thing about women are they are kind hearted, supportive, caring, and some probably make good cooks especially if they are a traditional Caribbean woman. But overall women have been the back bone of men since the beginning of time. Many holy books would relate to the first people of the human race such as Adam and eve being formed from his rib. Women are the bedrocks of society no matter how we look at it. They serve as mothers, sisters, and daughters as well as they have been they have been our confidante. Many have toiled in the field and have keep communities together giving their time energy and talents in villages all over the world women have world, despite the social or ethical status women had fought for night to establish themselves equal to their men partners, There are a few women who have played the crucial role in the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

The recognition given to the work of a number of women who have been toiling in the vineyard for many years, working at the human development of women and their communities, is of great significance and so for a number of reasons. The first and perhaps most important element of the recognition is that the work in communities and amongst women has been done. The historical reality is that women have been among the most disadvantaged groups in Caribbean society while making great contributions to family and social life, education, economic development, even in the severe business of the development of the political culture and its organisations.

The fact that a woman now sits in the highest political office of political leader and prime minister is testimony to that fact. But even more important has been the work of tens of thousands of women in holding their families together, with grandmothers, aunts, even the traditional “aunty” and “nennen” from next door featuring in the bringing up of children. Award recipients such as Hazel Brown, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt and Brenda Goopeesingh, in their own right and representative of dozens of women going back over several generations, deserve being recognised for the work they have done to empower women to believe in themselves and to take charge of their lives and those of their children.

The second important consequence of the recognition must be the message it sends to the national community that the Government believes that women and the work they do are important for national development. Too often has that fact gone unrecognised. One classic example of the non-recognition, even in these supposedly evolved times, is the fact that work in the household, done mainly by women, is not included in the national statistics. In identifying and awarding women who have made their contribution in the home—and surely the modern woman who is making a double contribution through the work they do in the office, farm and

elsewhere—the society has an opportunity to make a quicker transit to a greater level of consciousness about the role of women in modern society.

For the likes of the specific women mentioned above, the award must be particularly satisfying. This is so because for decades these women and the causes they have stood for have not always been popular. In particular Brown and Mahabir-Wyatt have not been afraid to say publicly and loudly things which have not been popular. Indeed they have been the butt of male-oriented humour, which has mocked their gender and their capacity to lead in a meaningful manner. The society as a whole must salute them and be happy for them for having the courage (perhaps at times it required not being afraid) to take on physically opponents by marching and holding the placards on the picket lines.

The work of Helen Bhagwansingh, separate and apart from being part of a team to have developed and now manage a massive and successful commercial organisation, has been her generosity to deprived persons and communities. She has also funded community-oriented health research The former first lady has quietly gone about the community work she has been engaged in over many decades and it is good too that that work has been recognised. Outside of that group of women recognised specifically for their community-oriented work, women in public life such as retired judge, Gladys Gafoor, academic sociologist, Susan Craig, retired police officer, Margaret Sampson-Brown, Irma Simonette, culture and calypsonian Denyse Plummer are all deserving. It is a sign of maturing society by this special recognition.

Mc Cartha Lewis, She is known as Calypso Rose the undisputed Queen Of Calypso in Trinidad and Tobago and the world. She was born Mc Cartha on April 27th, 1940 in a village in Bethal Tobago. She attended the Montgomery Government School and later the St Patrick’s E.C school in Tobago. At age 11 she came to Trinidad East Indian with relatives in Bacteria and began attending San Juan Government School. When she left school at the age of 15 Calypso Rose had already dealt with crowd a since she would her relatives to preach at Baptist Meetings, San Juan. By the early 60’s she began composing and singing calypsos.

Rose became the first woman to carry the Tittle of the National Monarch in 1978 singing her Majesty and I thank Thee. That year she also became a Road March winner. This was not her first road March victory however in 1977 with a Tempo. However she was best known for he hit fire fire!! In the early 70’s Rose was known among contemporizes as the calypsonians who fought for just treatment of the female calypsonian. She demanded more fees more respect from them. Rose now makes her home in California and recently to Trinidad for a tribute paid to her by the Nationals Women’s Action Comitteee (NWAC) the women’s arm of the nationals Joint Action Committee.

Lady Thelma Hochoy was born September 17th 1910, was the daughter of Peter and Lilla Huggins who ran a post office and dry goods store at St Madeline, south Trinidad. She came to Port of Spain to attend St Hillary High School. There she was involved in sport and played centre forward on the hockey field. She was one of the Bishop’s top Girl Guides and also Commander of the Order St John. Upon graduation she married Solomon Hochoy who was knighted by the Queen of England in 1959. The couple adopted a daughter. As wife of the Governor General she was very active in social work, helping organizations such as the Working Girl’s Hostel, Red

Cross, St John Ambulance and Health Association. In appreciation of her assistance to these social welfare intuitions, the home for the mentally retarded, the Lady Hochoy Home was named for her. Lady Hochoy lived as a near recluse at her Blanchisseuse beachfront home.

Audrey Jeffers who was born on February 12th, 1898 in St Clair of wealthy parents dedicated most of her life to the service of the poor and destitute. In 1913 she journeyed to England to pursue education in the field of social sciences. This exposure groomed her well to take up the mantle of service to the poor. Upon her return to Trinidad in 1920 she started a school at her home where poor black children were educated free of charge. In addition to this Ms. Jeffers spread her wings by providing lunches for the dispossessed. With the assistance of other civic- minded citizens she learned the Coterie of Social Workers (CSW) which provided lunches for poor children in New Town, Port of Spain. The impact of this effort was so fulfilling that by 934 branches of the decades of the 1920’s and 1930’s were difficult ones for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. From as early as beginning of the century the economy was in a state of decline. As a result of this unemployment was high wages were low, poverty was wide spread, disease and malnutrition were prevalent and a large member of people lived in slums.

Jean Pierre was 17 years old in 1961 when she decided that she must represent Trinidad and Tobago in the inaugural World Championship in England. She managed to be one of four shooters representing Trinidad in 1963. Jean practiced for the next 19 years with a net in her backyard. She represented Trinidad at the World Championships in 1967 in Austrailia, 1971 in Jamaica and 1975 in New Zealand. She led Trinidad to victory in the World Championships in Trinidad in 1979 and was awarded the nation’s highest honour, the Trinity Cross. Government named the west Port of Spain regional sports complex (where the championship was played) The Jean Pierre Complex in her honor. In 1975, she won the West Indian Tobacco Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the year award. She was also named in top ten group of world players.