lion’s share of the population for
every five-year period since 1950
and are projected to continue that
trend until 2095, according to the
Central Statistics Office.
celebrating the achievements and
aspirations of women.
Clearly, the role of women
should not be underestimated.
However, that’s not always the
case, especially in a culture where
male machismo and stigmatization
against women often blur the
true picture of a woman’s worth.
For instance, even if a woman is
qualified for a job, she is more than
likely to lose that job, not given a
pay raise or refused promotion if
she refuses to give into the sexual
desires of her male supervisor or
employer. The audience was first
treated to a screening
of the documentary,
Period.End of Sentence.,
which won the Academy
Award this year for Best
Documentary, Short
Subject. The 25-minute-
long documentary,
released in April 2018,
takes viewers through
the lives of women in
rural India who struggle
with periods still being
taboo and often end up
being the end of a girl’s
education.
During activities marking this year’s
Women’s Month, observed in
March, Alliance Francaise hosted
a forum which attracted women
from various spheres of society:
government, business, media,
non-governmental organizations
-- you name it, they were there.
Past Babonneau MP, Alvina
Reynolds, and Governor General
Emerita, Dame Pearlette Louisy,
were among the nearly two dozen
women sitting in the circle in
The Pyramid at Pointe Seraphine
discussing, analyzing, critiquing and They soon learn how
to operate a machine
-- from a man who
introduced them to it
-- that makes low-cost,
biodegradable sanitary
napkins, which they sell to
other women at affordable
prices. This not only helps
to improve feminine hygiene
by providing access to basic
products, but also supports and
empowers the women to shed
the taboos in India surrounding
menstruation – all while
www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019
SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle 23