UNC Women – A Sad day for women in Trinidad and Tobago

Today is indeed a sad day for the women of Trinidad and Tobago. The Women’s Arm of the UNC has heard with great sadness and disappointment the unwarranted attacks on Kamla Persad Bissessar made by Jack Warner at a press conference yesterday and indeed we must condemn any such attack on a woman of this land.

We recall the struggles of women internationally to take their rightful place side by side our male brothers, and we have much to be proud of, as more and more women are stepping up into leadership positions in our own country. However, it remains a problem in society today, when one can attack a woman on her personal life, her character and make the most vile insinuations and allegations against her. It is for this reason alone that many women remain discouraged from entering the political arena.

There is no place in a developing society where we strive for equality in treatment for anyone to still be committing such acts of defamation. In fact, we should be encouraging more women to enter the arena of politics in order to achieve gender parity. Kamla Persad Bissessar has certainly paved the way for women politicians and her leadership style has embraced men and women as equal partners and contributors to our country’s development.

Trinidad and Tobago remains a democracy, governed by a constitution and the rule of law, which must be respected. Therefore anyone having information of wrongdoing by any official must allow the relevant authorities to act instead of taking it into the public domain as mere propaganda.

Today we call on politicians to put our country first; and remove themselves and their own political survival from the equation. If we are to build Trinidad and Tobago then we must do so as women and men being equal. Trinidad and Tobago belongs to all who live in it and we must treat every citizen with the same regard, respect and dignity that they deserve.

We expect now that Mr Warner will turn his attacks on us; however we are not daunted by this. We stand for the principle that there is no place in politics for character assassination of any woman regardless of which side of the political divide you stand. Therefore we remain united in our struggle and together we will fight every attack against Kamla Persad Bissessar and women serving in public office for the benefit of this land. We call on every right thinking citizen to join with us in this fight.

Yours in Service,
Stacy Roopnarine
Chairman, UNC Women’s Arm
24 June 2015