The Prime Minister’s recent “grooming” statement did not surprise me. Indeed it was at least the 3rd occasion in which his reference to women has been unfortunate. What has left me stunned is the image of 2 female Members of Parliament sitting behind him who obviously enjoyed the insult and verbal abuse. Even the Minister of National Security exhibited his total enjoyment of this unfortunate statement. How can I feel safe when the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts and the Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, holding the portfolios of Gender and Child Affairs, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Central Administration Services, Tobago all publicly demonstrate their support for this unfortunate characterization?
When the women’s movement fought for women’s representation in government, we did not expect that female MPs would participate in such negative portrayals of women. We expected you to be shocked, or at the very least you would remain expressionless in the face of such abuse but instead you enjoyed the boy’s room expression and by your behaviour, gave it your unspoken approval. We did not expect you to publicly support such anti-woman banter. Did you even recognise it as anti-woman?
I wonder how you explained to your daughters what the Prime Minister meant by “grooming” or by “it turns into pasture”. I wonder how you explained the delight on your face and the face of your leader to your mother or sister or elder in church. Are you and your female colleagues on the government bench still rolling over with laughter? I am reminded of a statement by Albert Einstein: … the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.”
The women of this country expect you and every woman in Parliament to clearly and firmly object to negative characterizations of women every time that it occurs, because words are powerful and what is said reveals inner thoughts and views about the subject. Words like these also send powerful cues to other men about the lack of esteem that women are given so each woman in Parliament has a responsibility to ensure that our male MPs honour women through their expressions.
The women of this country expect you to uphold the dignity of all women, because our country will only thrive when we dignify each other, and the leadership has a huge role to play in demonstrating that capacity to lead with dignity.
The women of this country also expect you to call out our leaders when they fall below expectations because that is how we will collectively improve. If this was the first unfortunate statement, it might be forgivable, but there is a consistent denigration of women by our Prime Minister. If you called him out in private, then please receive my private commendation, but publicly, my expectation is for us to speak well, do well and treat each other with kindness.
We owe it to ourselves and the children of our future.
Dennise Demming 
Such a shameful example for the youths of the nation.
Read Dr Rowley’s autobiography and you wouldn’t talk such siht about him being a shameful example for the youths of the nation. Shame on your for buying into fecal talk from Demming, Womantra,PLOTT and the UNC women’s group who claim Dr Rowley disrepected woman. You ever see the human nastiness women turn themselves into at Carnival? Demming and those clowns always turn a blind eye to the disrespecful beings women become at Carnival. And Ivor , Dr Rowley is not an expatriate like you hustling to survive in USA. He’s a home-grown boy committed to making here better for jokers like you and Demming to run your mouths.
Dear Mr. Mapp
I am surprised that a person with the patience to have read Dr Rowley’s autobiography will so quickly descend into name calling and attempts at insults. Your description of what women turn themselves into at Carnival seems to be at odds with what Dr. Rowley enjoys.
If you choose to engage this discussion, I would really appreciate a more substantial response rather than the name calling.
This is just the latest in this man’s clear agenda and lifetime of misogyny and disrespect to women. From the treatment of the reporter Anika Gumbs, to his “cavorting” with a teenager in a Carnival band (put that in your song Chalkie!!) and now this ridiculous, insulting, degrading remark. Clearly not a man of PM material. He needs to apologize, resign and retire to private life.
Ms Demming you are no different to the thousands of Trinidadians who are authorities on every shocking topic under God’s sun. That ‘s why we have 36 radio stations, and every jackarse ,his brother, and sister like you prattling on the multitude of talk shows. Why is it so many political casualties like Ralph Maraj, that clown Louis Sing, and even you all want to remake Dr Rowley to your liking and concept of the colonial afro-saxon prime minister? Let the confounded man be himself , and you people see about your own ten-cent images.