Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten "remains committed" to examining gender-development to address "gaps in raising successful and engaged boys and men." This was the message delivered by Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Artsen on behalf of Education and Youth Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs at a recent briefing with the fellow Dutch Kingdom delegation members and non-governmental organizations in New York.
The message, outlining the position of women on St. Maarten, was related to the 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 59) in New York, on March 10. The theme of the session was "Beijing +20."
"There is a need for men and boys to participate in gender and women's development, because in the end we still want both groups to live, work and develop side by side, so that we can have a better St. Maarten for all," said Artsen.
Education trends show girls outperform boys throughout the school system. "While we must complement our educational system for the success of our girl children, we must also examine the causes for male underperformance, dropouts and failures. It is not our aim that girls and women run ahead of males, but that we create a society where there is balance and equality."
In tackling gender and women's development, "more dialogue and sharing of best practices" are called for among kingdom partners and countries in the Caribbean. St. Maarten "supports" further networking to determine best practices and ways forward.
