SLYOU Magazine Issue 1 | Page 24

Exploring The Amazing Strength of Women Story and Photos by Stan Bishop According to UN WomenWatch Organization: “Rural women play a key role in supporting their households and communities in achieving food and nutrition security, generating income, and improving rural livelihoods and overall well-being.” For centuries, part of being a woman has been synonymous with many great expectations and responsibilities. While in some cultures women are virtually worshipped as gods, other cultures choose to discriminate against what they deemed “the fairer sex”. Notwithstanding the disparity, there is no denying that the roles women play trump even the Oscar for Best Actress. Women comprise nearly 43% of the world’s agricultural labour force, with as much as 70% in some countries. As mothers, they also play the largest decision- making role about family meal planning and diet. Women are the primary caretakers of children and the elderly in every part of the world and are resilient whenever the family’s economic fortune is threatened. 22 SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle In education, women’s roles in ensuring that they instil values in their children from a young age have proven to be a major factor in their children’s social development. Moreover, over the years, more women have become empowered to finish high school and tertiary education, often to increase their self-esteem and improve the socio- economic standing of their families. In many instances, too, they have shattered glass ceilings, thereby empowering and inspiring other women via such precedents. In Saint Lucia, women account for 51.08% of the population in 2019. In fact, women accounted for the www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019