FIRST LET ME START by saying bravo to Professor Eudine Barriteau on her appointment as principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus. It was about time that a woman broke through this particular glass ceiling, and certainly there is none more deserving. What is so exciting about Barriteau’s elevation to the post, that perhaps was missed in all of the statements of her many credentials is that she went to Ellerslie Secondary School.
In this we have the happy coincidence of a woman moving into a position which has traditionally been male-dominated and also coming from a newer secondary school. Importantly, I also need to add that Barriteau has also broken the long held perception of women in power as having to be visible iron ladies; tough and ruthless and taking on the persona of men to get ahead. Anyone who knows her would testify that she is indeed strong but she is also entirely feminine. There is no one who can rock a pair of sky high heels and a hot outfit better than Barriteau.
However, I do want to make a small confession: the first thought that struck me when I heard about her promotion was, ‘Hold on. How come a woman has been elevated in the middle of the perhaps one of the most serious crisis the UWI Cave Hill Campus is facing?’ It struck me as interesting as I reflected that the consummate alpha male Professor Sir Hilary Beckles was moving on after a long period in which expansion of the campus was a tangible possibility and he was able to build a legacy of generating resources like no one other principal before him. More importantly, we also saw expansion not only in the physical campus but also in the student role under his mantra of a university graduate in every household.
The extent to which we can attribute all of Sir Hilary’s success to his own personal strength and charisma as opposed to examining if there was at the same time a confluence of circumstances that might have provided a good foundation for his vision to be successful is a discussion worth having. The circumstances facing Barriteau are remarkably different. She takes over leadership at a time when the economic situation facing Barbados has had a devastating impact on the finances and student roll of the campus. She will be charged to maintain and transform the university at a time when the circumstances are less than favourable.
She is very well up to the task, I am sure, but I could not help the flicker of the question that arose in my mind. I could be overthinking it but what it has done is add one more topic to my growing research list – “women as crisis managers” – and the extent to which promotion is related to the state of the organisation or, dare I say, economy. One of my other research topics is the extent to which the management of West Indies cricket is in its current state because there is a paucity of women in its leadership. I wonder what would happen if we stuck a capable women in the midst of the excessive testosterone and bravado. Will hell freeze over first?
Nevertheless, Barriteau’s promotion presented a wonderful backdrop to the celebrations for International Women’s Day (IWD), which in my mind were somewhat muted. What I did pick up, and again this is perhaps me overthinking things, is an apologetic undertone which was both amusing and engaging at the same time. As we celebrated IWD, there seemed to have been an undertone of let’s not celebrate in a way which will ostracise men or let’s turn our attention to how we embrace men in the process. All very valid and sound arguments and discussions to be had – the frontal debate, however, about gender based violence, women’s leadership as well as the celebration of women’s achievements seemed not to have featured so prominently this year.
Perhaps this should be expected – after all, women in Barbados are perceived to have achieved and have it all . . . what else do we want?
Shantal Munro-Knight is a development specialist and executive coordinator at the Caribbean Policy Development Centre. Email [email protected]