Women’s activists welcome Weekes’ nomination

Justice Paula Mae Weekes. FILE PHOTO
Justice Paula Mae Weekes. FILE PHOTO

The nomination of a woman as President “is timely and overdue” precisely because women cannot say they have ever experienced true gender equality in state and political affairs, says Dr Gabrielle Hosein, head of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies St Augustine campus.

“In our post-colonial history we have had far too little gender equality in positions of political and state leadership,” she said, in reaction to Government’s nomination of retired judge Paula Mae Weekes to the post of President.

It was important that when women enter state and political leadership, they must be encouraged, she said, “to be transformational leaders in a way different from those that came before.” In occupying positions of such power, she said, “they must be able to advance gender equality in the appointments they make, in decisions they make, in statements they make, in ways that continue the way for others, and for a much more equal climate in the appointments.”

Hosein, along with Hazel Brown, co-ordinator of the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women, and women’s-rights advocate Diana Mahabir-Wyatt yesterday shared their views with Newsday on Weekes’ nomination. According to Mahabir Wyatt, TT needs someone with a sound grounding in ethics for President, and Weekes is that person.

She said Weekes “is an excellent choice. She not only has a good track record but she also teaches ethics, rights and obligations for lawyers. “I think she will be a very good President. I do not think that the question of gender is as important as the question of personality, character and approach. I think that she rules in terms of personality, character and approach.”

As a person, Mahabir-Wyatt said, Weekes is “a very calm, disciplined, and balanced person who is articulate and diplomatic in her choice of words.”

As a professional judge, she said, “It will help because she would be faced with a lot of legal decisions. It is the purview of the President to appoint people to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and to participate in the appointment of the Chief Justice.”

Mahabir-Wyatt said, she knows that one does not need a legal background to be the President of the country, but it helps.

Brown said in principle, she supports the nomination but she does not know enough about Weekes to make any judgement.

“I have always supported the elevation of women to all the highest levels of decision-making. It is keeping with a 50/50 campaign that the Network of NGOs started years ago that we have equal numbers of women in higher positions.”

However, she said, her concern is that when the women attain the offices they do not carry forward the women’s agenda.

“That is the problem I have had with some of the women who have been appointed to these positions. They forget about women when they get there.”

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