Time for PNM members to speak up

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 25, 2024

There he was, resplendent amidst the splendour of the PNM Women’s League as he asked their members to get ready for the 2025 election. Acting as the titular head of the party in the absence of the Leader of Our Grief and in the presence of his "political Mother" (Camille Robinson-Regis), he signified his desire to achieve his next career objective: the leader of the storied People’s National Movement.

In his elation, he didn’t tell these women what to expect from a reincarnated party under his leadership. Nor, for that matter, did he tell them how he hopes to reverse the downward slide of the nation. A protégé of his leader, crafted in his style and embodying his essence, Young was a parody of the man he was hoping to replace.

The Leader of our Grief is the most misogynistic leader our country has ever seen. A few examples will suffice. Speaking about UNC’s political leader in 2015, he quipped: "She could jump high, she could jump low, she could drink this, she could drink that, she could bark at meh dog, I go ignore she cat."

In March 2017, in Arouca/Maloney, he was asked why so much violence was being committed against women. He responded: "You call on the Prime Minister to do something about crime. I am not in your bedroom; I am not in your choice of men." I suspect he would do something only if he were in their bedroom. It is no wonder that violence against women has escalated since then.

During the budget debate in October 2017, he compared a woman to a golf course—golf being one of his favourite sports. He said: "A golf course is like a woman. You have to groom her every day; otherwise it turns into a pasture." In one fell swoop, he had reduced a woman’s essence to her private parts. One could hear echoes of Donald Trump in all of the Leader’s remarks.

Although the Leader’s followers may excuse his misogyny, these utterances have no place in today’s gender-conscious world. Such verbal violence against women only opens the door for further degradation of women. No progressive woman should accept such insults from a boorish leader, whether they like him or not.

Femicide, the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man on account of her gender, is becoming more prevalent. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reported that in 2021 at least 4,473 women in the region were victims of femicide. In the Caribbean, 28 women "were victims of lethal gender violence... Belize and Guyana had the highest rates in the Caribbean... while the highest absolute number of victims was recorded in Jamaica". (ECLAC, "Gender Affairs", November 24, 2022.) In Guyana, 55% of women "reported having experienced at least one form of violence, including intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual abuse".

Young must demonstrate a determination to protect women. If, as he says, he recognises "the intelligence, strength, and power of women in society" (Express, September 9), then he has no recourse but to repudiate his leader’s misogynistic statements, apologise for the harm they may have caused, and pledge to promote and protect women’s rights. The primary function of PNM women cannot be winning another election for the boys.

Young also needs to let us know where he wishes to take us in a world that is pushing towards new technological frontiers. Thus far, he has only repeated the words of his master. While he has been a faithful soldier and presumably a hard worker, these two attributes are not the primary attributes needed for the leadership of our society.

We also have to ask how appropriate it is to elect someone to lead the State when he has so many personal conflicts of interests with the general well-being of those he wants to serve. Within nine years, Young has had 101 recusals amounting to "36% of all Cabinet recusals" (T&T Guardian, September 15).

This is no small matter, given the wealth of Young’s father and younger brother. In contrast, Eric Williams, George Chambers and Patrick Manning, three of our most esteemed leaders, died as paupers. Their disapproval of Young’s ill-timed coup can be heard beyond their graves: "What evil spirit has taken over our party?"

Paolo Kernahan has argued: "All leadership reacts to the stimuli the people provide, whether negative, positive, or reticent. Leaders are emboldened to act in the manner they choose on the strength of signals from the public." (Newsday, March 15, 2023.)

Young has asked PNM women to prepare for election warfare. Shouldn’t they ask if he is qualified for the prize that he seeks?

PNM members should speak now to defend their party’s integrity or forever hold their peace?

—Prof Cudjoe's e-mail address is scudjoe@wellesley.edu. He can be reached @ProfessorCudjoe.

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The Slave Master of Trinidad by Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe