There is an aspect of last Sunday’s presentation of keys to new home owners at Marchfield in St. Philip that impressed as well as depressed me. First, however, permit me a moment to put the observation in perspective.
Two weeks ago I visited the showroom of a car dealership in Warrens, St. Michael. It was one of those days when the urge to see what was new and available simply could not be denied. I was forced to wait about 25 minutes for personalized attention because there were quite a few persons in the display area enquiring about terms and conditions of sale agreements.
I did not recognize many of the faces but there were mostly young men, holding what is culturally referred to as both white and blue collar jobs. It was astounding to hear the price of some vehicles and observe the determination of some of these guys to purchase new sport utility vehicles, in particular, irrespective of the cost.
Some guys were willing to sign on the dotted line there and then and by the time I left the showroom I am certain the Sales Executive with whom I spoke had herself chalked up a minimum of three “relatively safe and secure” sale commitments. I was happy for these young men and admired their tastes and their determination to “move up” in life.
Political animal that I am, I thought to myself ‘well things in the country cannot be that bad if demand for $200 000 vehicles is so high’.
That episode streamed completely out of my mind, until last Sunday while attending the handing over of keys ceremony at the new Marchfield Housing Development. What struck me most as the names of new homeowners were being revealed, was that the vast majority was either single women or pairs of women; perhaps sisters, relatives or mere platonic friends. I cannot recall any new owner being a single male and certainly less than 40 per cent were couples in the traditional sense of a man and a woman.
I do not wish here to personalize the observation to those particular homeowners, but to speak generally now in the context of that barometer reading.
Here you have a situation where on the one hand men are lining up to buy new sports utility vehicles that will be used in large measure, to transport wives, girlfriends and chicks to and from work, play and the conduct of chores. Women, on the other hand, are stepping forward and affixing their names to the dotted line in acquiring the proverbial ‘piece of the rock’.
I am tempted to call Ralph Boyce from MESA and solicit his take on this rather strange phenomenon. I used the word ‘strange’ against my better judgment because I am aware several persons will argue there is nothing strange about this state of affairs. Our men would definitely have to be in crisis if, on the one hand, they are selecting new cars over new homes and worst still, if they are financing homes but not being smart enough to affix their names to mortgages. Whatever is the explanation or rationale, I salute the young women of Barbados who are not sitting still and waiting on men to craft their destiny.
Sixty five percent of the near 2500 persons in attendance at that function last Sunday were women. Many of them came not only to lend support and extend well wishes to those receiving keys but also to enquire about the process and procedures for themselves acquiring a piece of the rock.
When this scenario is coupled with that of the gender imbalance at Barbados Community College and the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, a very grim and frightening image emerges. Something is happening and somehow I am not getting the thrill as I normally would when Red Plastic Bag sings the song.
It is interesting that this type of situation also flows into other arenas since I am aware that Women are also more likely to vote than men. In the last election here in Barbados 123,348 women were registered and of them 81,943 voted which is perhaps not an impressive turnout until one notes that of the 112,162 men registered, some 67,690 voted which amounts to a 60% turnout compared to the women’s turnout which was 66%. Voting is perhaps the most responsible act that a citizen can perform and the fact that more women are turning out to vote than men, speaks volumes.
The fault cannot just be that of parenting or the men themselves. I would think the women they are involved with can do a little more to help and guide them. Women need to recognize and acknowledge the shortcomings of their men and rather than exploit them, work with them to protect them from themselves.
So perhaps they can frown on some of those new car purchases, talk men out of designer and brand name clothing, embrace the beauty of silver and costume jewellery over that of high priced yellow and white gold and instead of those daily lunches at south and west coast restaurants, get their men to follow them to the National Housing Corporation to put down their name for a house or a piece of land.
So I was happy to be at Marchfield and proud of those new homeowners. But, while not sexist in any way, I want to hear greater gender balance in the ownership of some of the near 2, 000 housing solutions this government intends to build over the course of the next five years.
Come on men…get your priorities right. As of now, you are letting down the side.
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