Gender policy to close inequality gaps

ALTHOUGH girls were beating boys in the education system, women still have to catch up to men in many fields when it comes to careers and salaries.

Speaking at the TT Sister Society’s Women’s Forum at Paradise Villa, Paramin, Minister of Trade and Industry, Paula Gopee-Scoon, said there were opportunities in her ministry for women but they needed to make themselves aware of these and to tap into what was available.

“You find that at all levels (of education) the girls are passing and doing better than the boys? But what happens afterwards? And why is there not that equality and parity after post- university education? That’s where we have to fill the gap and recognise the importance and push ourselves forward, and speak out at forums, and really be responsible for your own development.”

She said the government was focussed on both gender equality and economic development, so much so that in March, Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister in Gender and Child Affairs, laid a green paper in the Parliament on a national policy on the topics.

Gopee-Scoon said women and girls were not on par with boys and men so many aspects in the paper ensured the status of women in several areas including business, public service, and salaries.

“It’s very easy to say that gender equality plays an important role in economic development but economic development on it’s own will not necessarily recognise the importance of gender equality. So it’s very important that there is harmonisation.”