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local Thursday 9 March 2023

The Education Shop on equality between men and women

(Oranjestad)—As it is al- work now. We have to put
ready known, the Interna- more emphasis on this so
tional Women’s Day cel- we can help the children,”
ebrated every March 8th he stated.
has the purpose to promote For this, Winklaar thinks we
equality for women in all need to take a step back
walks of life and to also put and consider what is equal-
an end to gender violence. ity? What are the things
It is no secret that there lies that need to be brought
a difference between the forth in order to achieve
education of young boys it? “Don’t we want to be
and young girls in our cul- treated equally? Don’t we
ture. treat others equally? Where
it’s frowned upon for young
Our reporter approached women to do certain things
the Education Shop to ex- young men do, it’s impor-
plain a bit about how edu- tant that we give them a
cation in our culture is differ- fair chance, regardless of
ent for boys and girls. Rho- gender. It’s important to
myko Winklaar, director of give them a chance to
the Education Shop, along grow in life and to experi-
with social work intern Elisa ence professional success;
Zievinger shared that it is to give them the freedom
true that there exists a cul- to choose and to guide
ture on Aruba where boys them when needed.” Win-
are considered to have klaar finalized.
more freedom than girls. drink at bars with friends or of freedom. “We often ask they would be performing Education of gender equal-
“Every year we see boys go do their hobbies and ourselves: How can that “heavy” physical activ- ity does not mean ignoring
get in trouble with the law, are barely home. As a re- be? This isn’t normal. There ity, and young women to the differences between
for example. Girls too, but sult, the mother is left with is a big gap between boys choose “softer” careers in men and women in terms
the rates are much lower. the task of taking care of and girls but we are seeing sales or office work. How- of physique, but these dif-
This is because boys’ brains the children. Often times girls having a bit more free- ever, young women are ferences are not sufficient
develop much later com- “machista” men are raised dom at a younger age.” slowly also choosing heavy grounds to base their rights,
pared to girls’,” he stated. largely by just their mothers In terms of development, careers too, like construc- chances at opportunities
Furthermore, it has been and “it is the mother herself it has been observed that tion. and decisions solely be-
noted that more young who creates their mentally, girls are receiving their first Both men and women have cause of their sex and gen-
women are continuing their because there is no father sets of rules at an even work within the household. der.
studies after high school present to correct or guide younger age—at 9 or 10 However in Aruba, there is That’s why it is important for
and are going further in life the children. However, fa- years old, when it used to the tendency to see chil- parents to try to implement
compared to young men. thers often do permit cer- be 13 or 14 years old. Now- dren being raised without values of equality and re-
This is considered an eman- tain things for boys espe- adays, girls are not only de- a father. However, there spect within the household,
cipation of sorts, where cially, and that is where we veloping faster physically, has been a rise in mothers to allow their kids to choose
key positions are taken by the differences in how boys but also mentally, and abandoning their children their own paths, to allow
women, or new positions and girls are raised,” he ex- young girls are often much with their father. “We can boys to be vulnerable. We
are being filled by women. pressed. more mature than their call these children emo- have to also give girls more
Aruba has the example of It is normal for us to see male counterpart. tional orphans. We are access to more resources,
the prime minister, who is young boys of 16 and Furthermore, there has seeing a transition from especially technology, and
the first female prime min- 17 years of age partying been a shift in career absent father being seen it is important that parents
ister in Aruban political his- around, but in terms of girls paths, where once it was as normal to a new shift stand up against discrimi-
tory. of the same age, they do common for young men where roles are reversed, natory attitudes, sexism
However, Aruba mirrors not have the same type to choose careers where because men have more and lack of respect. q
South America in terms of
the “Machismo” (Manli-
ness) that plays a huge role
in family dynamics, as Win-
klaar stated. Many times,
men have more to say
than women, men have
more sexual partners and
even more families. “That is
what the children see, but
we have to consider that
when a mother is left with
the children, she takes on
the primary role as parent,
a position which should be
filled equally by both moth-
er and father.”
But often times we see
absent father within the
family dynamic: they go
to work and then they go