Women Empowerment Worldwide | Curaçao
“The Rise of Women’s Rights in Curaçao”
In this “Women Empowerment Worldwide” series for House of Notoire, women empowerment sceneries all over the globe will be researched and discussed with you. My ambition is to enlighten and inspire you with facts & figures on women empowerment you didn’t know yet - but which should definitely be a part of every girl’s cultural education. During the week I’m involved with TheNextWomen, where I’m responsible for the TNW women’s network and all of the events related to that. During the weekends I’m a freelance creative that loves to write about all things girlbossy. In between that, I’m a true globe wanderer and I try to discover new places as often as I can.
Nevertheless, how modern the island might be these times, women’s rights are still lacking behind. “The Rise of Women's Rights in Curaçao” is the title of the book author Adaly Rodriguez wrote in 2015. It treats the potential of the UN “Women’s Convention” to the empowerment and equal rights of women in Curaçao and is, therefore, the title of this second article of the series.
Since 2010, Curaçao has been an autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and therefore, its state organs and agencies have the obligation under the Women’s Convention to realize women’s rights. However, socio-cultural classifications embedded in imperialism, a colonial past, prejudices based on ethnicity and racism all influence the way gender relations are constructed and therefore determine the position of women in this society. These classifications and mechanisms keep both indirectly and directly harmful gender-based stereotypes and fixed parental roles in place.
The framework laid down in the UN Women's Convention focuses on the ultimate goal: to eliminate gender discrimination, to create an effective national protection system and to strengthen the position of women, and with that, enabling them to fully participate in social processes and to make a transformative contribution to their personal development and that of society.
A good example of achieving this goal is the annual Women Conference that took place in Willemstad, Curaçao for the 15th time in a row. The theme of this year’s edition was “Strength and Female Leadership”. The approach of the conference that took place last May, was to make young female professions realize how and who made it possible for them to enjoy the opportunities they have at this moment in time.
“And thinking that what is normal now has always been like that, is another trap for many. It is at moments that they say something about being disappointed that they are willing to listen about the women who had to stand tall for women today to have what they have” - Initiator and organizer Reyna Joe of BISInc.
Women’s rights in Curaçao are on the rise.
Maxime Eveline
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