NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2024 41 JTA 60TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE the tenets of gender equality. Perhaps it is time for the Union to consider a shared title by adding a female president, in recognition of the contribution of women to its 60 years of success. FEMALE LEADERS OF THE JTA The first female president of the JTA, Fay Saunders, ascended to this position in 1968 and again in 1971. Since her tenure, 11 other women have risen to the status of President: Ellorine Walker, Dorothy Raymond, Helen Stills, Rosemarie Vernon, Nadine Scott, Judith SpencerJarrett, Sadie Comrie, Ena Barclay, Nadine Molloy, Georgia Waugh-Richards and LaSonja Harrison. Rosemarie Vernon was the first classroom teacher to become president in that capacity. In 2000, Nadine Scott passed the torch to Judith SpencerJarrett, making it the only time in the 60-year existence of the Association that two females were a part of the tripartite presidency of the union. The gaps in the years between female presidents range between five and ten (5-10) years, indicating a disproportionate representation of the top job that may very well be the fault of the women of the organisation themselves. Dorothy Raymond and Judith SpencerJarrett both served long in the secretariat. However, to date only one woman has risen to the post of Secretary General, Fay Saunders. The women of the JTA have worked tirelessly alongside their male counterparts in the trenches and served as committee chairmen, advisors and trustees. The Counselling Centre, Pre-service Teachers Forum, and varying forms of professional development were conceptualised by female presidents and workers of the Union. Females of the Union should not only strive to ascend to both the presidency and the secretariat but should also seek to support each other when one attempts to do so. FEMALE UNIONISTS ON THE WORLD STAGE The World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP) preceded the establishment of Education International in 1993. The Union’s Fay Saunders served as Vice-President and hosted the General assembly of this body in 1971. Judith Spencer-Jarrett served as Liaison Officer between EI and the Caribbean Union of Teachers (2013-2015) and as Deputy General Secretary and Chair of Status of Women’s Committee of the latter. The Union has continued to strongly represent, with Past President Nadine Molloy serving in EI on several committees, including the Committee on the Status of Women, Resolutions Congress and as representative of North America and the Caribbean since 2019. The Study Circle programme was adopted by Dorothy Raymond from Larafabundet (Swedish Teachers’ Union) through much collaboration and is the main tool the JTA used to empower its members. Germane to the discussion of relevancy of unionism at large, and the JTA in particular, is the extent to which the membership is knowledgeable of the work of the Union. THE COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN The Committee on the Status of Women, formerly called the Women’s Caucus, was adopted as part of the Jamaica Teachers’Association in 1989. The original mandate of the Committee is to advance an agenda of equity and to facilitate the mentorship and advancement of women to the zenith of leadership in the Union. The work of the Committee over the years, however, has evolved taking on several gender-based and societal issues not limited to: all forms of gender-based violence; health and wellness; gendered-poverty. The current leadership of the union boasts the combined expertise of: Nadine Molloy – Chairperson; Immediate Past Chair – Lavern Johnson; Estelle Davis-Wright – Vice-chair; Michelle Barnes – Secretary; Latoya Reeves –Asst Secretary; Rowena Newman-Ridley – Public Relations Officer. The structure of the Committee bolsters the work as each parish manages its own caucus. Past presidents Judith Spencer-Jarrett and Georgia Waugh Richards served the committee as executive members and chairpersons, the former serving also as advisor, preceding Charmaine Gooden-Monteith, and Margaret Chin, the current advisor. The committee works closely with its regional counterpart situated at the Caribbean Union of Teachers to host several programmes that have helped women to become more well-rounded. The committee has hosted five (5) Women Conferences in the history of the JTA, including the 2018 focus on leadership for women, that was the brainchild of Georgia Waugh-Richards. Since its initial membership of 1,000 teachers in 1964, and its exponential growth to over 20,000 now, the Union has maintained an over 90% female record. To date, while women have enjoyed successes in leadership at the district and parish levels, only twelve have been victorious at the polls to serve as leader of this regional benchmark. The disparity is even more poignant when one considers that the Association can only boast one female Secretary General. The ratio of female to male membership over the years begs the question – what continues to thwart females from ascending to the highest office? The Committee on the Status of Women must return to its original mandate, underpinned by a targeted, sustained mentorship programme to facilitate the ascension of more women to the zenith of the Association. WOMEN CONTINUED FROM 40
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