March 8th, Sunday was International Women's day. A day chosen to celebrate the giver and nurturer of life. Just like black history month, it was forgotten by many as the C word and here on the block the J word galvanized the attention of many. But it was good to see a few posts on the blockchain BIGing up the women. ( Who me, I was MIA taking care of family business:)

Women in top roles

In countries like Japan it is very rare to see a woman as a ceo, or a principal at a school. I doubt anyone here even realizes there is an international Women's day.

When talking to Japanese friends about Japan ever having a female prime minister, most said no. They can't even fathom such a thought. It was as if I asked about marijuana ever being legal on the island. But I feel a woman as Prime-Minister would be the best thing for the country as they would see the ills in the society so many men here overlook.

Many companies in Japan frown at putting women into top positions as they fear they will get pregnant and not be able to fulfill their duties. And this intern has made many women have to choose between their career goals/dreams and starting a family. Once a woman has a child, there is a slim chance of a company hiring her for a top position or even a regular full time position. Interestingly, many woman here are beginning to see the light and are starting their own businesses.

Even in Jamaica, I remember when the honorable Portia Simpson became the first female Prime Minster of the island. A common term many men on the island started to say was "panty government". ( Even some of the women were using this term)..SHM. However, the situation in Jamaica isn't as bad as Japan. Many women are in top positions making change while the men are the ones missing in action.

There is a lot of respect for women in Jamaica but at the same time there is still gender inequality in the workforce where men are sometimes paid more than woman to do the same job. There is also the issue of domestic violence against woman which is connected to economic dependency. Empowering women is empowering society and it is s good to know that there are initiatives taking place in the Caribbean ( Specifically Jamaica) and Latin America to close the gap on inequality. One such initiative is the "Win-Win: Gender Equality means Good Business Programme".

The programme promotes the economic empowerment of women by driving organizational change specifically focusing on gender equality as a necessity for competitive business performance. The countries taking part in this initiative are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa, Jamaica, Rica, and Uruguay.

Woman in Reggae

When we take a look at the Reggae music industry, the inequality can clearly be seen. For some reason the women in Reggae do not get as much recognition as the men. While the songs are being made by the female artistes it is an environment that caters to men. Just do a search of Reggae music 2020 and see how many females pop up.... The first thing you will realize after doing that search is you will see the image of women on the latest Reggae/Dancehall mixes dressed in less, but she has no song on the mix. She is a prop to sell the product.

And the female artistes who do get the recognition are usually sex symbols who sing raunchy lyrics and play the role of the "HOT GYAL". Why? Sex sells and attention is an asset. The women who are singing positive uplifting music rarely get highlighted. We could say the same for male artistes but with women the reality is more grim. Thank God for Koffee winning the Grammy's as it will show many young and upcoming female Reggae/Dancehall artistes that there is a better way.

Salute

BIG UP to all the women worldwide, I respect and salute you. I also believe God is a woman, it just makes more sense to me. Only a woman can be so understanding despite all we have done wrong on this earth. I personally would love to to see the CEO of ReggaeSteem be a woman in the future. There is something special that a woman brings to this existence. What a boring and dull place the world would be without the feminine.

I leave you with a performance by Sevana, Jaz Elise, Lila Ikè and Naomi Cowan, four Reggae Dancehall acts who are building names for themselves without conforming to the "Hot Gyal" Sterotype. These ladies have a vibe and are ushering in a new wave of NEO Soul Reggae female artistes. Enjoy this freeStyle at Protoje's studio hosted by 1 Extra.

_{Image Source}