Joseph Cunningham, Gleaner WriterThe Women's Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) is proving to be a rock solid champion for women in the struggle for gender equality.
Located at 47 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston, the non-profit organisation is 'run by women for women'.
"We believe that women activism is fundamental for any change in society to be secured, and that is why we move on this right-based agenda anchored in CEDAW (the convention for the elimination of all discrimination against women)," said Stephanie Hutchinson-French, manager.
RIGHTS OF WOMEN
In 1993, an amendment was made to the Jamaican Constitution regarding the rights of women, at the request of the United Nations U.N. Commission on the status of women. According to Margarette McCauley, attorney-at-law, at the time, the Constitution underlined that children could only gain citizenship to a country by having their father's name. Through the amendment, a mother now has the same power as the father. According to Mrs. McCauley, the U.N. cited a lack of equity within the constitution.
"Women need to be equally ambitious about social security as males. Owning your own home is the greatest form of social security. It is also good for a poor woman to maintain her sanity in her old age," Mrs. Hutchinson-French said.
DISCRIMINATION
As such, in keeping with its fight against discrimination, WROC recently hosted a training workshop series on the convention (CEDAW) as part of
a programme to strengthen
the national agenda on gender equality. The workshop focused
on the social security schemes
of the National Housing Trust (NHT) and the National Insur-ance Scheme.
The workshop underlined articles13 and 14 of the convention, that demands equal access to loans, credit, family benefits, access to services, training and employment opportunities and social equity schemes for women, Mrs. Hutchinson-French continued.
"I now have the keys to my own home, said Donnah Drummond, mother of five children. I was enlightened and motivated after learning that even though I am a higgler I could own a home through the NHT."
Mrs. Drummond added that it was at the workshop that she learnt that under the NHT scheme she would only pay $850 monthly for one year to be eligible for application.
"The approach that WROC has taken to educate and to empower women through the gender equity theme had a very positive impact on my life. As a result, my children are living a more comfortable life today," Mrs. Drummond remarked.
To contact the WROC, call
929-8873 or 960-9067.
