Posted on in Uncategorized

Music Mondays: Transactional Sex in “Yaw Yaw”

I’m starting this new feature to highlight music from across the Caribbean that in some way brings to the forefront various social issues: Good, bad and other. I had been thinking about doing this for some time because, first, I love music and second, I love Caribbean music and third, we as a region produce a range of music and although many often see and hear of the more licentious or violent segments of our music, in every song, there is so much more.

One good example is a song called “Yaw Yaw” from Dominica 2011 Road March Champion Sour Sour. Now, I have to admit I can’t help but move to the beat of this song. It’s catchy and groovy and easy to move to when you are on the road Carnival day. But, what first caught my attention about this song was not the beat but its first line:

“I hear you making more bomb than Russia; and taking more wood than a bakery”.

For anyone not familiar with the these sayings, someone “making bomb” is essentially engaging in transactional sex. Growing up, I would hear of this and that person “making bomb” tonight, so she ( and it’s usually spoken of as the female who is engaging in this behavior) could pay her light bill or water bill. And in this case, wood is a euphemism for the male genitalia.

The song then goes on to say:

“Every Saturday, I see a lady going inside of her house; next thing, I seeing six, seven fellas go inside that same house; next thing I see her, coming out with plenty money.” (This is basically the entire song.)

This explains the first part of the song about ‘making bomb and ‘taking wood’. It’s much more explicit here than at the beginning and the transactional nature of the sexual relationship is clearly stated. Now, for a country that criminalizes prostitution, this concept would never be called as such. In fact, prostitution or sex workers are only thought of in the context of the ‘other’. They are never people whom you know and grew up with and are ‘making bomb’. In fact, in many towns and villages, many people most likely know which women are ‘making bomb’ and which men are willing to pay.

The first time I heard this song, I was deep into literature on multiple and concurrent partnerships and transactional sex and how those patters helps spread HIV. For me, it was not a hard stretch to start asking questions about local epidemics in the region and the role of transactional sex. I recently saw Tribes, MTV’s Staying Alive Ignite program from Trinidad highlighting the nature of transitional sex between an older man and younger women as well as concurrent partnerships. However, not much – well nothing really – is known about this more accepted form of transactional sex.

Posted on in Uncategorized

Dominica should use Waitukubuli Nature Trail to promote active lifestyle

With the completion Dominica’s Waitukubuli Nature Trail near, this presents a great opportunity for the island to promote an active lifestyle to its citizens and to others around the Caribbean. While projects such as these are often use to promote tourism, we should never forget that with the rising costs associated with non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heat disease and stroke, we also have a mandate to promote healthy behaviors and healthy lifestyles.

So, alongside the marketing campaigns across countries such as the United States and Europe to attract those interested in super hikes, I would like to see the government also support a local health promotion and/or social marketing to educate citizens on the benefits of such a trail to their everyday lives.

In the past few weeks, two sets of teams – a Welch couple and a group of Dominicans – have completed the 14-segment trail. Their stories are reported here and here, respectively.

Posted on in Uncategorized

Help find Shanice Jemmot of Dominica

Having just read on Essence.com about the gang-rape of an 11-year old, I wanted to use this time highlight the case of Shanice Jemmot, a young Dominica who’s been missing for more than a month. There is a $35,000 reward for information on here whereabouts. And, the government has enlisted the assistance of French officials after obtaining information that she may be in Guadeloupe.

Anyone in Dominica, Guadeloupe or any other islands who think they may have seen this young lady should contact their respective police departments immediately.

To find out more about the case visit: http://dominicanewsonline.com/dno/government-seeks-french-assistance-in-locating-shanice-jemmott/

Posted on in Uncategorized

Spotlight on women, girls and AIDS on Int’l Women’s Day

Much attention will be placed, on today’s observance of International Women’s Day, on the advancements that have been made over the last century.

But a call has come from the Caribbean Coalition on Women, Girls and AIDS (CCWA) for focus on women and girls who are marginalised by the effects of HIV and AIDS.

“According to statistics from PAHO and WHO and UNAIDS, HIV now affects women and men equally and is the leading cause of death among people aged 20-59 years in the Caribbean. However recent data estimate the incidence of AIDS among females at between three to six times higher than that of males in the 15-24 year old age group,” a CCWA press release noted.

CCWA contends that the increasing statistics where females and HIV and AIDS are concerned “is largely due to the unique vulnerabilities of women and girls in becoming infected with the virus. Many of these factors include cultural ideologies, economic constraints and both individual and institutional discrimination that place women and girls at greater risk, particularly HIV positive women.”

Violence and the threat of violence also increase women’s and girls’ vulnerability to HIV, since they can not negotiate safe sex, CCWA said.

CCWA, a regional network of individuals and organisations committed to advocating for improved HIV and AIDS programming for women and girls, has identified four thematic areas for focus.

They are reducing violence against women and girls, given the link between sexual violence and HIV transmission; preventing HIV infection, particularly among adolescent girls, by improving access to reproductive health care including female condoms; promoting universal access to prevention options; and providing support for women’s care-giving work within the household and community and to seek to promote women’s leadership in the AIDS response.

via Antigua Observer Newspaper .

Posted on in Uncategorized

CARICOM salutes achievements of women in the Region

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has joined the international community in saluting the achievements of women in the Region, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, being observed today, March 8, 2011.

“We salute the sterling actions and contributions of the many women who laid strong foundations for the principles of equality and justice in our societies and to the overall development of our Region in all spheres of life,” Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, CARICOM Acting Secretary-General said in a message to mark the occasion.

“The personal histories of these trailblazers are a source of inspiration, especially to young girls as they define their paths to success that best fit their values and aspirations,” the message states.

This year’s celebration of women is focussing on access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science and technology, including the promotion of women’s access to full employment and decent work.

In her message, Ambassador Applewhaite said International Women’s Day was also an opportunity to “reflect on the gaps to be addressed in order to achieve a deeper and more meaningful sense of social justice, equal rights and dignity for all.”

In this context, she noted the continued efforts for the cause of gender equality by the CARICOM Advocate for Gender Justice, Dr. Rosina Wiltshire.

Given the need to address gender stereotypes which continued to permeate societies, Ambassador Applewhaite said the Region and the international community had responded through mechanisms like the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in safeguarding equality of opportunity in education in areas such as science, technology and innovation.

“The continued implementation of these frameworks will contribute to developing competencies required for the emerging workforce.”

“We must nevertheless remain vigilant in ensuring that our human resource development efforts provide equal access to training and decent work for girls and women,” Ambassador Applewhaite said.

In this centennial year of the observance of International Women’s Day, she said that CARICOM Heads of Government will bestow the Tenth CARICOM Triennial Award on an outstanding CARICOM woman whose work has made a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the Region. To date, CARICOM has bestowed the award on nine women.

Ambassador Applewhaite said that the Community was looking forward to welcoming the next recipient to this League.

via CARICOM salutes achievements of women in the Region.