Legislator urges women to stand against discrimination, violence in BVI
Territorial At-Large Representative Shereen Flax-Charles is urging women in the territory to stand up against all forms of discrimination and or violence portrayed against them.
She made the remarks while speaking at the Road Town Methodist Church Hall in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women & Girls on Monday, November 25.
“We (women) have been given an incredible opportunity to refocus our perspectives and ensure that we each as individuals take up the fight for equal standards and justice for our vulnerable,” Flax-Charles said.
Women battle these challenges daily
She decried incidents in which women suffer from offensive dialogue and actions from males in the workplace. She said this type of abuse and discrimination mostly go unpunished.
“I hear stories especially of women being unfairly treated in the workplace whether it is discrimination keeping them from achieving the heights that they deserve, or a man, appointed to serve the interests of our people instead of being the vile sort of deviant that sexually harasses and assaults his female colleagues.”
“This is truly the most frightening expression of misogyny as it is hard to identify, hard to challenge and hard to report. These instances are most often circumstances where a male colleague, superior or subordinate’s negative behaviour towards you is dismissed as the usual deal,” Flax-Charles said.
Take a charge towards achieving your goals
The government minister further gave a recipe which she said women can use to help to manoeuvre through gender discrimination in the workplace.
“Ladies, when there is no seat for you at the table, you bring one, tell everybody to ‘small up themselves’ and you sit right down … It is all of our duties as women to take up our places of power, and wield the influence that we earn towards a more equitable British Virgin Islands.”
“Every woman has promise and potential, but neither of these can be appropriately realized in the wrong space. That is why success must always begin with an audit. Discover purpose among your strengths and growth among your weaknesses,” Flax-Charles further added.
2019 theme
According to the United Nations’, the theme for this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is ‘Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape’.
It will mark the launch of 16 days of activism that will conclude on December 10 for International Human Rights Day.
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We heard someone causing plenty trouble in the VIP camp…..Hope it isn’t this one
Foy need to do the right thing. Women should be respected. They work hard and deserve to be treated with respect. She is about the people. ViP need to stop spreading propaganda against their own people
CONFUSION ITSELF
LOL I know she didn’t say discrimination LOL….Jokes
ain’t she threatening foy them ???
No need to threaten anyone. This woman is grass roots. She IS VIP to the bone. The problem is they cant deal with woman in leadership. She is a team player. Foy we put her in and she is good people
Child go have a seat….
So you condone child abuse sexual harrassment t and the like
I am with you 100% on this. There are to many of us Women being bullied and humiliated and treated unfairly in the work place here in the BVI by men. I would say this, there is one on my job that said to me who is going to believe me. But I tell you what, one day when he FEEL SOME HOT SCALDING ACID RUNNING DOWN HIS BACK IN THE PARKING LOT SOMEONE WILL BELIEVE ME.THIS DISRESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE HAS TO STOP.
Ms.Flax, we as a group of 15 women is standing behind you 15,000 percent. We are elated that you stood up and spoke out on the above issue.There are enough of us women and it is time for us to stop the disrespect, bullying and intimidation in the workplace by our male coworkers. Women, don’t you think it is time for us to sit at the head of the table, not the side?
The men is patting each other on the back and allowing this lack of disrespect to continue towards women in the workplace. Women, start secretly audio taping the way the men is disrespecting you on the job.I have my boss on audio tape disrespecting and demeaning some of the women including myself.when I present the audio to the proper authorities or the press, then maybe the B***shit will stop. Keep F**king with a woman thinking she is afraid and weak.Trust this, a woman can become veryyyyy dangerous when pushed to the limit.
No matter how weak and afraid you may think a woman may be, she can become very vicious if pushed.If you ever saw snapped you would understand. No joke you men that have no respect for women and continue to disrespect women will get snapped on.
we need to stop talking foolishness and understand what she is saying it is true a lot of domestic violence goes on and is not reported we only know what was happening in some one house when you hear that they are dead stop you all foolishness
In my workplace the manager who you think would stand up for the staff because we are all from the Caribbean.
He is the one that bring back slavery to the workplace many of us women speak amoungst ourselves about the way we are treated but none brave enough to report it to the revelant authorities.
Labour Department would visit time after time and ask if everyone is alright everyone would say yes even though they complain that they are not happy. we need justice but how can we get it if we don’t speak up.
“water boiling for fish but fish aint know”
When they collect your contributions from your salary and don’t pay it in is a form of disrespect and the respective departments know they are doing it and they do nothing about it,