The Tribune

LAST week Tuesday, it was reported that Corrections Commissioner Dean Cleare told new recruits that women would be quickly dismissed for any missteps because the squad has “an abundance of [them], too much. Our waiting list now is over 400 females trying to get in here, but it is the males who I will try to massage, wash your toes, and wash your feet to try to get you in line.”

The new squad of 38 women and 41 men, apparently, has too many women for him.

Cleare blamed failure of his department to recruit what he deems to be the appropriate number of men (in proportion to women), on women who actually applied, met all requirements, and attended the signing-on ceremony.

Cleare is one of many people who have been so accustomed to the scapegoating, denigration, and devaluing of women that there was no hesitation in making ridiculous, misogynistic comments about women—people who are needed and without whom his job would be exponentially more difficult. Women, over and over again, in many spaces, are met with punishment for being educated, willing and able to work, responsible and dedicated in performing their functions, and beneficial to communities, workplaces, and society.

Rather than responding with meaningful, effective action to the issues men say they see with men at large in the country, they point their fingers and throw jeers at the women who are stepping up to keep the wheels of the country turning. They’re not only threatened by gender equality, from which they stand to gain (whether or not they have the intellect to understand it), they’re threatened by the leadership of women.

They’re threatened by the success of women.

They’re threatened by the tenacity of women.

They’re threatened by the very existence of women.

Many men are so insecure in their work, their contributions to the world, and their own lives, that they ignore their responsibility and ability to improve themselves. Instead, they choose to disrespect, malign, and discriminate against women. Living in a society where this behavior is repeated, from the home to the national stage, it ought not surprise anyone—though it should appall everyone and move us all to action—that violence against women is rampant. The weak seek to gain power and control over the people who clear obstacles for their survival and the survival of their own.

Cleare has since apologized for his asinine comments. He said he "never intended to demean, disrespect, or discriminate against women.” Yet he did.

Intent is far less important a factor when we look at impact. It becomes even less critical when we consider the root of the thinking that would lead to such reckless, foolish remarks. He claimed to have “always held women in the highest regard and deeply appreciate their invaluable contributions.” But this is completed contradicted by the suggestions that the contributions of women on the squad are so worthless to him that he would easily, and without appropriate reason, dismiss them. His goal seemed to be to reduce the number of women on the squad in order to make space for men, who are not even interested in being on the squad.

Some have called for Cleare’s resignation, and I wonder what a replacement would be like. I wonder who would be the next in line. I wonder how that person would view women. I wonder how they would see the gender dynamics on the squad. I wonder if they would value men more highly than women. I wonder how their experiences, in the same society that raised, housed, and is impacted by Cleare, would shape their leadership and, by extension, the workplace and the lives of the women and men there?

Would I mourn Cleare’s loss of his job? Absolutely not.

Do I believe it would solve the problem? I do not.

The issue is deeper than any one person. It’s the poisoning of minds across the nation. It’s the failure of the government of The Bahamas to address gender inequality in substantive ways. It’s the complete avoidance of the topic of gender and the ways it impacts every aspect of our lives. It’s the embarrassment that the government calls one of its departments the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, which is not even a shell of what it ought to be and is staffed by people who clearly have no commitment to gender equality.

It’s the repeated offense of the Ministry of Social Services hosting events at a church “led” by one of the most public misogynists in this country, who has made disgusting public statements, including against the criminalization of marital rape. It’s the failure to mainstream gender across all government ministries and departments. It’s the lack of gender training.

Perhaps Cleare should be fired, and he certainly isn’t the only one. The next challenge is to identify people who do not hate women and who are capable of identifying a problem (eg lack of men joining the squad) and developing a solution (eg addressing gaps in education and engaging men and boys in programs and mentorship to prevent their delinquency).

As if to prove that Cleare is not an outlier in his misogyny, however unintended, on the very next day it was reported that Latrae Rahming is donating his senator salary to fund scholarships and business grants. He said, and I quote: “All of these grants are from the Leader of the Women Dem to my women.”

This is beyond insulting. Rahming is using the term popularized by another public misogynist, who punished the nation with his idiotic commentary on the radio and on the internet. In addition to hateful, dangerous ideas that he felt far too comfortable saying aloud, he specifically targeted women’s rights activists with his vitriol. Through dog whistles and direct messaging, he instructed his followers to harass and violate people who have been working for years to make this country a safe place for women and girls.

Rodney Moncur is not and was never a person to emulate. That a senator would use the gross term Moncur used to belittle women—and in an attempt to put himself on a pedestal—is horrific.

Men who care about women do not try to dominate women. They do not seek to oppress women. They do not use language to place themselves above women. They do not call themselves “leaders” of women. They recognise the existing leadership of women. They recognise the competence and care with which women lead. They acknowledge the ability of women to function as team members without downplaying the contributions of others, and they seek to do the same.

They create opportunities for women to lead in a world that presents many barriers. They welcome opportunities to partner with women. They regard women as equally capable, and they put their names and their resources on the line to close the gender gap in opportunities and outcomes.

People who are genuinely interested in supporting women do not make grand, public gestures. They do not seek applause. They do not decide, by themselves, what they will toss at women to make themselves look and feel better than the below-average, uninspired, self-centered men so many show themselves to be.

They do not act for women without engaging with women. They consult with people from the demographic they wish to serve. They are able to do this because they do not operate from another realm. They are in the real world, having real conversations with real people who are living through circumstances beyond their understanding. They listen. They ask for, accept, and compensate women for guidance.

Their goal is to actually contribute to a change that moves us toward equality, not to put their own names in lights by throwing money at what they perceive to be the problem, with no evidence and no true assessment.

They do not repeat the harms of dead men who plagued us for far longer than ought to have been allowed.