Human Rights in Jamaica: A view on Vision 2030
What does “human rights” mean in Jamaica and to Jamaicans? Are some rights viewed as more important than others, and are some persons’ rights viewed as more important than those of others? These are important questions to consider as we seek to assess the human rights situation in Jamaica amidst our push for the development of Jamaican society in the long term.
A sustainable pathway to national development will not be fully achieved if we continue to ignore the opinions and lived realities of portions of the population. We must realise that national development considers all the factors that influence growth and positive changes in our society. These changes oftentimes come as a result of direct policy implementation and legislative changes. However, there are many instances where these policies, acts and regulations are written with innate discrimination.
Whether it is intentional or not, we must come to accept that there is pervasive discrimination against certain groups, particularly LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex) individuals which results in their exclusion from the conversations affecting their health and development. Jamaican LGBTQI people are continually being discriminated against and we link these events of discrimination to matters of Jamaican law. We see in education were discriminatory rules are adopted and there is an absence of or failure to implement anti-bullying policies which affect homophobic attitudes. Absence of these policies put LGBTQI or questioning students at direct risk and often results in them dropping out of the formal school system.
Dr Andrew B Campbell, equity and diversity professor at the University of Toronto, explores the effects of such discrimination in his book The Invisible Student in the Jamaican Classroom. What the text highlights is that, in addition to students who may bully their peers who identify as or are perceived to be LGBTQI, there is discrimination also being meted out to these students by teachers and guidance counsellors.
In 2016, there was a Gleaner article published ‘Guidance Counsellors Shun Gay, Lesbian Students’, which spoke to the unwillingness of over 800 guidance counsellors in the Jamaican school system that would not deal with LGBT issues affecting students under their care. The deficiency in Jamaican law will affect the ability of our education system to adequately fulfil its mandate to every child (especially those whose gender expression does not fit the mould of the typical cis-normative expectations) and this will affect the achievement of our Vision 2030 goals.
A proposal — ‘The [Jamaican] Gay Agenda’ published in 2018 by the Equality for All Foundation — exists that directly speaks to issues affecting these marginalised groups. This proposal links directly and integrates seamlessly with the country’s strategic development plan Vision 2030, and if the presented suggestions are implemented it will benefit the wider society.
Equality clauses in the Jamaican Constitution may offer some protection to LGBT individuals, but the non-discriminatory clause excludes them. The [Jamaican] Gay Agenda speaks to the issue of security and justice by highlighting the negative effects of the widespread homophobia and transphobia experienced by members of the community. The law fails to protect LGBTQI individuals from stigma, discrimination, physical violence, and other human rights violations (The [Jamaican] Gay Agenda, p 8). Our goal of a society that is secure, cohesive and just will be negatively impacted by these challenges faced by LGBTQI individuals.
We speak of national development saying we want Jamaica to be the “place of choice to live, work and raise families and do business”. This vision does not specify any particular group of people (not gay, not straight, not gender-conforming, or gender non-conforming). So, in order for us to achieve this, we must include LGBTQI issues when we speak on matters of national development.
Vision 2030, Goal 1 says: “Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential” and Goal 2 speaks to a safe and secure society. These cannot be fully realised if any group of persons are excluded from the discussions.
The [Jamaican] Gay Agenda speaks for us all as straight, cis-gendered and LGBTQI individuals on matters of national development. It speaks to the amending laws to protect all Jamaicans from stigma and discrimination including those with mental health challenges. It also speaks to the provision safe access to abortions and after-care for women. It speaks to the establishment of a national apprenticeship system for youth to prepare them for the world of work as well as greater government support for financing tertiary education. I would recommend that every person read this document to get the full and complete recommendations put forward by J-FLAG in moving Jamaica forward.
In order for us to achieve our goals as stated in Vision 2030, we need to strive for inclusion, celebration, and equity and this will give us a society that is just; one that sees continued growth as everyone is able to unlock their true potential as we are all now viewed as equals…acknowledging that each and every one of us deserves to be here and has something to contribute to the provision of a better society for all.
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