Caribbean Women

Although the Caribbean can boast that in its short history as independent states, women have been able to break the glass ceiling and rise to the highest levels, including the office of the Prime Minister, and despite laws which protect the rights of women, inequality between men and women remains widespread and deep rooted in many cultural practices and traditions. Like other women in developing countries, Caribbean women face though choices every day,- choices where cultural tradition often conflict with their human rights.

Women who chose to have children have been made to live with that often repeated phrase that the problems of the world are caused by poor women having too many babies. This of course is simply a diversion from the real social causes of poverty and injustice. For example, blaming Third World women for an issue like global warming not only undermine women’s rights, but it also the fight against climate change.

Paul Ehrlich opines “…that too much automobiles, too many industries, too much chemicals, never ending contrails. Poor treatment in sewage plants, continuance of air and water pollution, which lead to little water- can all be linked” to overpopulation.[1] Betsy Hartmann, highlights that populationist arguments are re-surfacing and new groups have added a “faux feminist twist” to the Women of developing countries on their reproductive rights. “The bad news that the fertility of women is destroying the environment follows the so called ‘good’ news that proper family planning is the answer. In other words the groups won’t feel guilty in blaming women of developing countries for the world’s global problem because they can assist in improving their conditions in having fewer children”. [2] She f...

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... ‘population policies’. She further states that considering women’s issues within the framework of Neo-Malthusian will only lead to the abandonment of the social roots of the subordination of women. [7]

The mixture of women’s rights and population reduction in developing countries is asking to mixing oil and watr.oil. This combination will only make the matter worst, the fight for women’s human rights is a means of achieving practical goals, and not demanding Justice in its own right. By adapting the concept of the populationist, it is evident to determine that the so called ‘Population Justice’ is heading on a dangerous road. Adding a voice especially that of a liberal- to misogynists to blame women of developing countries for the current global warming crisis will further undermine both the rights of women and the global fight against the climate change.