UNC Women condemns derogatory comments by Opposition Leader

The Women’s Arm of the United National Congress is outraged at the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition in referring to the Hon Prime Minister at the PNM’s meeting in Brazil on the 17th March 2015.

At that meeting Keith Rowley as leader of the PNM, leader of the Opposition and an aspiring Prime Minister insulted not only the Hon Kamla Persad Bissessar, but indeed every woman in this country with the disparaging and offensive language used.

We are extremely disappointed that in today’s society when women have struggled for decades and fought for equality in treatment to take their place side by side with our brothers, that you still have a leader making such distasteful comments against women. This comes mere days after celebrating International Women’s Day, which highlighted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic road-map signed 20 years ago that set the agenda for realizing women’s rights. Globally, women continue to fight for their rightful place and the Hon Kamla Persad Bissessar has been one such leader to always advocate for women’s rights and equality in treatment.

Dr Rowley made it very clear in his statements which are too derogatory to repeat, that he has no respect for women. It is indeed unfortunate that one would refer to any woman in such a manner as we all have sisters, mothers, grandmothers or daughters. We are indeed saddened that the children of this land had to hear those comments, as our children learn from our leaders.

The UNC Women’s Arm will continue to fight for the rights of women and continue to defend our sisters as the Hon Kamla Persad Bissessar has said before that ‘Women Hold up Half the Sky’. Therefore we believe they are to be given the same respect as men in society.

We therefore call upon the Leader of the Opposition to apologise to the Prime Minister and every woman of this nation for his disrespectful and derogatory comments against women. We also call upon the PNM Women’s League to stand up for the rights of women in this country and explain if this is what their party stands for.

Yours in Service,
Stacy Roopnarine
Chairman, UNC Women’s Arm
18/3/2015