When I hear people saying dat duh doan watch TV when the politicians are in Parliament or duh doan listen tuh nuh debates nor nothing so because the politicians does get on too raucous, I does tell dem dat they have tuh listen sometimes as they have tuh know what is going on in the country but, while all o’ dat might be true and good advice,
I know tuh myself dat some politicians does really turn ya off, hear wha’ I tell ya.
Another thing dat I have heard people asking, is why it is dat more women doan get involved in politics. Some people think dat it would bring a better balance tuh the way how things are done and run in Barbados.
We come along and see a lot o’ men, all kinds o’ men over the years, pon top o’ the people platforms hollering and barking in microphones, in Parliament and other places and couldn’t see women doing the same thing or getting on the same way. It really was not the norm and a lot o’ the older folk did not see it as appropriate for a woman. It wasn’t something dat they did.
Even so, they couldn’t be nuh ordinary women wid nuh ordinary background. Women had tuh be on par wid the men or way beyond dem; otherwise some men would use dat tuh make a women getting in politics feel dat they shouldn’t be there rubbing shoulders wid dem boys wid the big brains; she outta take her place . . . she just ain’t belong there.
Look, all kinds o’ nincompoop men could come along and decide dat dem like dah sort o’ thing,so they would get involved wid a particular party, work along wid it fuh years andthen decide dat dem like it. Now because it is a man, his politician boys might think dat he has a lot tuh offer and set he up. Next thing ya know, “Ding Ding” from down the gap running fuh a seat in Parliament.
He might even get it and be now representing me and you. He is now one o’ the gang, the team, he rubbing shoulders wid the big boys and like the big boys, he up pon a platform barking and hollering in a microphone til he hoarse. He ain’t got tuh have nuh lot o’ common sense but he in Parliament, he is a man.
On the other hand, let a woman do dat; ya might hear the diehard politicians saying dat she ain’t come from nuh where, she ain’t got nuh qualifications, she cahn talk the language. So a decent woman who might only want tuh make a valuable contribution tuh her country backs out because she ain’t good enough; dem cahn have a woman, an ordinary woman, rubbing shoulders wid dem interlectuals.
Ya see, duh fuhget dat women is the best negotiators and she smart and because she up in there wid dem, duh does go and dig up the past, tuh see if she got any skeletons in she closet so they could unearth dem.
They have tuh tear she down or make all kinds o’ derogatory remarks tuh and about her.
Too many men like tuh attack the personal life of women and women cahn handle dat, so they doan get involved.
My father was a party stalwart and I come along seeing him gine out night and day, canvassing fuh a particular party whenevah election time come around.
So I have a good understanding of the political arena . . . . I was very close tuh it but nevah wanted tuh got involved in it. It is a lot o’ pressure pon a woman and if she ain’t strong and determined, she will feel intimidated.
A lot o’ women I know would like tuh get involved in the politics but duh cahn take the unnecessary verbal pressure, attacks and their personal life broadcast tuh the entire country.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
