Complexd Woman Annecka Marshall shared her opinions on how men and women perceive the Vagina in Jamaica (see  feature Punny Printer pages 36-41). Here she talks in-depth about gender, sex and sexuality in Jamaica.

Name: Annecka Marshall

Occupation: Lecturer in Gender and Development Studies, Mona Campus, University of the West Indies

Place of birth: England

Current residence: Jamaica

As Lecturer in Gender and Development studies, what do you teach young people in Jamaica?

 I always try to increase the awareness that diversity is a source of strength rather than a site of division. In Jamaica I encourage students to reject their preconceived ideas about patriarchy and heterosexuality. I am particularly concerned about the regulation of women’s sexuality by men. This is demonstrated by the sexual double standard whereby it is expected that men have several partners but if women do so they are chastised as whores.  It is important that young women challenge derogatory images about their sexuality and reject negative treatment. My courses support students to reclaim their sexuality and become financially independent.

Violent homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia and transphobia lead to widespread silencing, stigma and discrimination in Jamaica. Homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender are regarded as a threat to culture, religion, politics, patriarchy, heterosexuality and the nuclear family. The virulent societal rejection of same sex desire leads to name calling, threats of physical violence, danger and harassment.  Sometimes lesbians are raped to ‘remedy’ their sexual orientation and the pressure to prove that they are not homosexual forces many men to be sexually active and to have many female partners as well as children. I teach students to debate sexual diversity because they uncritically adopt religious doctrine to justify discrimination. Students examine feminist analysis that refute their beliefs that same-sex practices are unnatural, abnormal, immoral, corrupt, perverse, diseased and evil. Sometimes students are reluctant to address sexual difference but we discuss the causes of the fear and hatred of sexually marginalised groups and how to unlearn their prejudices. This is connected to my research and activism with all-sexuals. I investigate effective interventions to decrease ignorance about all-sexuals and risky sexual behaviour.

3) Do you think young women in Jamaica have a healthy relationship with their sexuality?

Several young women describe discrepancies between their awareness of the threat of HIV/AIDS and risky sexual practices. Men are the main decision-makers in condom use. The cultural expectation that men may have multiple female sexual partners whereas women are monogamous contributes to contracting HIV/AIDS. Many young women feel vulnerable because they have not received adequate sex education. This reduces their sense of self-love and sexual fulfillment. Some women suffer risks when they attempt to initiate and control sexual encounters. Often women fear communicating their desires to their partners because men may have less respect for them and perceive them as being too knowledgeable about sex. The low self-esteem of some young women contributes to sexual exploitation because they do not feel that they can negotiate safer sex in relationships that are characterised by patriarchal power imbalance. As a result of feeling dependent on their partner some women do not feel that they have the choice to refuse unprotected sex and they are forced to have sex against their will. Young women are willing to commit to a male partner with the knowledge that they are sharing him with other women. Most of these women do not insist upon condom use and put consideration for their partner’s feelings above their own health. The absence of sexual awareness restricts their ability to define and control their own bodies.