By Prior Beharry
REVEREND Joy Abdul-Mohan, Presbyterian Minister and Vice President of the Rapidfire Kidz Foundation, is calling for the acceleration gender equality.
She made the comment in her International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 message.
Abdul-Mohan said, “These senseless acts of cruelty continue to plague our beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago and play havoc in the lives of our families and communities.
“The situation demands that we ‘accelerate gender equality through bold and decisive action.”
She said, “We are called to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden our perceptions, create, change and enforce legislation to protect women and girls and to make interventions to improve relationships.”
Stressing the need for structural change, the faith leader called for strengthened legislation, interventions to repair relationships, and a collective challenge to harmful stereotypes.
Abdul-Mohan said, “We must broaden perceptions, enforce laws, and create safe environments free of violence,” as she linked the fight for equality to broader societal progress.
While celebrating strides made in education, politics, and civil rights, Abdul-Mohan underscored the critical role of men as allies.
She said, “We honour men who stand as equal partners in nation-building,” she said, framing gender equality as a shared responsibility.
Drawing parallels between IWD and the Lenten season, she urged reflection on the “courage of ordinary women who shaped history” and a renewed commitment to service. Quoting 19th-century writer C.N. Bovee, she reminded audiences: “Next to God, we are indebted to women… for life itself and then for making it worth living.”
