THE National Women's Organisation is affiliated to the New Jewel Movement. PATSY ROMAIN is a member of its national exocutive and she recently spoke to Intercontinental Press about the NWO.
The National Women's Organisation was started around 1972: meetings in the open because of fear of victimisation by the Gairy regime.
At present we have a membership of 1,500. Since the revolution women in Grenada have seen many benefits. You have equal work for equal pay. have women getting their equal rights in this society. You have women getting the maternity leave law.
We are hoping in this year to push forward showing the women the need for birth control, how it will be good for them - the advantages and disadvantages in birth control. As for abortion, Grenada stating whether women have the right to abortion or not: the programmes of the People's Revolutionary Government. There are a number of women playing an active part in the People's Militia and the People's Revolutionary Army. the NWO had the task to get all the women organised into it. of the science work and girls were taught arithmetic, sewing, cooking and so on. This has been changed. Teachers show girls that they should and can do the same amount of subjects as the boys. learn to be a dentist or to go away and study and come back to teach people about agriculture, ing, mechanics, you see women coming forward and saying that they as being equal to men. that their place was in the home. But a lot of work has to be done and is being done to show women that their place is not only in the home but to be equat: working alongside men.
Socialist Challonge. 7 May 1951 We could not organise women to have You there is no law in We haven't worked this out yet.
Before the revolution, boys were taught to do more Now when a scholarship is offered for a woman to engineerwould like to be trained to do this.
We did not have this before. Women were not seen Women were always thinking proxiaodely three-quarters food. There was mechanisation of agriculture and few adequate access roads in the countryside.
The People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) has designated 1981 as the 'Year of Agriculture and Agro-Industries. ' stone of Grenada's economy.
Prime Minister Bishop has stressed the importance of more food, laying the basis of industrialisation, building our economy and in so doing building our revolution. Threats • T 10 the revolutionary nature of our society that will ensure that all of our will be involved in this drive.
ine tasks facing Grenadans are enormous not least because the country is threatened with hostility from several quarters. Last year 40 banana industry cent o1 urenada s was destroyed by Hurricane Allen.
Foreign Minister Nicholas Ridley refused aid to the island at that time on the grounds that 'Grenada is inde or sees of estab hich ine kind of society of which government onoves mespeckve o wacluct the people of Grenada want it or not.
The United States is openly discouraging Common Market countries Grenada build its international airport. Such an airport, with facilities for night-landing and large modern planes, is essential 11(0) development tourism and the agro-industry.
The US tecognises portance for the survival of the island but hides its true position of little Maurice people the vital behind a smokescreen of concern about 'Cuban military base' Office Other countries are coming to the aid of the Algeria, Syria, have given £9m towards the airport. Machinery have been and Venezuela, disap- Cubans given 10,000 gallons of cheap diesel 01l.
Airport
Airport bonds have raised a helping further £14m is still needed to make the airport part-operational by the end of the year.
The PRG's response to the US's attempts at intimidation its im- was to call a mass mobilisation at the airport site on 12 April Maurice Bishop spoke at workTWO YEARS AGO the vicious Eric Gairy dictatorship in Grenada was overthrown by the New Jewel Movement and a People's Revolutionary Government was installed.
Grenada is a tiny island in the Caribbean with a population of 110,000. It is still formally part of the Commonwealth (which makes the Queen the head of a revolutionary government!) and its revolution is the first in an English-speaking country.
For the New Jewel Movement the Grenadan revolution is indivisible from the setting up of a published Libya and Iraq the Mothers and labour the On has £125,000 but another Grenadans population of the transport system.
judgements places in the preceding weeks nationalised weekly Free West Indian of support organisations as diverse Union of Catholic the Grenadan Employers Federation.
the day 10,000 out of a total '110,000 were inere, despite ine allicutes ol As the revolution unfolds in Grenada, the dire economic circumstances can result in mis and sometimes those of Cuba, Nic Prime Minister Ma ly: "Cowboy Reaga But imperialism threatened and it I economic sabotag Solidarity with Gre urgent.
NEIL SIMPSON Grenada after a m He gives his impre island and the pro serious political mistakes. This was shown in the recent public servants' strike.
2,000 workers grouped in three unions - the Public Workers Union, Grenada Union of Teacher: and the Technical and Allied Workers Union - put in a pay claim for a 62 per cent rise over two years Their wages were certainly low, £10 a week being not uncommon.
But the dispute becam quite divisive. These unions are members of the Caribbean Congress of Labour and the
A time and money •IC ConDall table locally.
ional seen the electricity — but this too takes The PRG did set up an inquiry which recommended that be made accounthat the board of directors be include *profespersons'. It remains Ped will give to its urgie the substance *Trade union membership has increased to 80 per cent from 30 per cent under the Gairy regime. Workers are protected Recognition Act. More than 2500 new jobs have been created.
*The Land Reform Commission was set up to put all idle lands into production and cooperatives have been formed.
*The reduced the price of sugar, rice and cement. buys and distributes food at controlled prices.
*The army was completely destroyed at the time of Gairy's overthrow. The police were purged and reorganised.
People's Revolutionary Army now exists, which is highly political. The people's militia is open to ali for weapons training.
*Discrimination against outlawed. Mass youth are in the process of formation.
*Free medical care introduced in local health centres increased facilities.
*Over 200 Grenadans are now studying scholarships (it was 3 in 1978). Secondary school fees have been reduced and will be abolished by end of the year. receive free milk and cheap meals. The first phase of the literacy campaign has bean completed.
*Parish councils have been established with delegates from villages, workplaces, trade unions, women's and youth organisations.
the Trade Union National Import and Marketing Board They are no longer armed. The women has • bean organisations of women and medical and dental on Primary school children
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The activities of the NWO are to push forward all From the very first day that the militia was formed,
'The development of the people, the participation of the people, that to me is the greatest achievement.' Maurice Bishop, Prime Minister
Achievements of the revolution two years on