Moving from Formal to Substantive Equality
After laying out this background, Senator Duncan-Price spoke frankly about how she achieved the “positive listening” and alliances for her successful motion, in the face of an initial lack of openness to it. She first worked within her own political party to ensure a strong base. Then it was essential to work with women in the opposition party.
She noted the influence of a workshop held by her party that examined barriers to political leadership based on the voices and experiences of grassroots women. Key to the workshop’s success was that it was led by the founder of the women’s movement, a well-respected activist and former First Lady. The regional chairman was also receptive and supportive of the workshop, and its focus group results helped generate interest in the party’s women’s movement.
The workshop's outcomes included identification of the following barriers to “equality of results” in the Jamaican political sphere: 4
· Identification and association of politics and the public sphere as a
male domain.
· Women's burden of care and family responsibilities - lack of public and
family support systems.
· Women’s low level of confidence in their ability to undertake political
leadership and decision-making.
· Absence of systems for training and mentoring women for leadership.
· Challenges for women to mobilize finances to run political campaigns,
linked to their lower economic status and lack of support for their