Carolyn Cooper | Man grudge woman fi her womb?

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

A Sigmund Freud im, di big-time psychiatrist from Austria, weh did seh, “Die Anatomie ist das Schicksal.” Yu body an, first to begin wid, yu gender a go control how yu life turn out. Freud did seh dat bout one hundred year aback. Mi nuh know weh im wuda seh inna dem ya time bout all a di people dem weh a change up fi dem gender from man to woman, an woman to man, an back to dem first-time gender. An as fi dem odder one weh nuh pick nuh gender at all at all! Dem a smaddy. An a it dat.

A di said same Freud weh claim seh woman a suffer from “Penisneid”: woman grudge man fi im penis. Nutten nuh go so. A nuh penis woman grudge. A di power weh di man dem tink dem got chroo dem have penis. One a mi friend dem seh wen shi inna meeting an hear di foolishness weh some a di man dem chat, shi sorry shi nuh have one long penis fi just flash it pon di table an shut dem up. Nuff woman nuh grudge man to dat. Wi done know seh nuff man nah nuh power. A it mek dem a fi a try brutalise woman, mek wi feel seh wi a nuh nutten.

One a Sigmund Freud student, Karen Horney, shi tek im on. An shi never horny. Dat a fi her husband name. Fi her brain did deh pon rapid. Shi seh a nuh yu body an yu gender control how yu life a go turn out. A how yu grow. A yu culture. An she seh some man a suffer from “Gebärmutter Neid”: dem grudge woman fi ar womb. Chroo woman carry baby eena ar womb an look after pikni, wi got nuff power. An man nuh have dat. A it mek nuff a dem go eena politics, for instance, fi try run tings, sake a dem nuh got nuh womb.

TALK WI MIND EENA PARLIAMENT

Mi wonder if a grudgeful fi true mek some man a try so hard fi control woman womb. All like how plenty man nuh waa do nutten fi change di old-time law eena Jamaica weh turn woman eena criminal if shi decide ar mind fi get a abortion. Life funny eeh! Man kuda grudge woman fi ar womb an still nuh want ar fi gi up di power a di womb when it suit ar? Woman nuh suppose fi control fi ar owna body?

Last year, nuff a wi go a Parliament an talk wi mind bout di law. Some a defend di law, some gainst it! A di Human Resources and Social Development Committee listen wi. Ronnie Thwaites im did a di headman fi di committee. Dem write dem report, an from wat mi get fi understand, dem ‘laid’ it eena Parliament pon March 25 dis ya year.

Wat me waa know a how long it a go lie down deh before Parliament raise it up. Some report deh eena coma fi all bout ten year. Me tink seh some a dem MP ya nuh waa change di law. Dem fraid fi di voter dem – woman an man – weh a defend di backward abortion law. Election a come, virus or nuh virus. Dem nuh waa lose nuh vote sake a abortion. Dem better tek up di report from weh it lie down. Or nuff woman an man might a abort dem time eena Parliament.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

A Sigmund Freud im, di big-taim saikaiyachris fram Aaschriya, we did se, Die Anatomie ist das Schicksal”. Yu badi an, fos tu bigin wid, yu jenda a go kanchruol ou yu laif ton out. Freud did se dat bout wan ondred ier abak. Mi nuo we im wuda se iina dem ya taim bout aal a di piipl dem we a chienj op fi dem jenda fram man tu uman; an uman tu man; an bak tu dem fos taim jenda. An az fi dem ada wan we no pik no jenda at aal at aal! Dem a smadi. An a it dat.

A di sed siem Freud we kliemz se uman a sofa fram “Penisneid”: Uman groj man fi im piinis. Notn no go so. A no piinis uman groj. A di powa we di man dem tingk dem gat chruu dem av piinis. Wan a mi fren dem se wen shi iina miitn an ier di fuulishnis som a di man dem a chat, shi sari shi no av wan lang piinis fi jos flash it pan di tiebl an shot dem op. Nof uman no groj man tu dat. Wi don nuo se nof man naa no powa. A it mek dem a fi a chrai bruutalaiz uman, mek wi fiil se wi a no notn.

Wan a Sigmund Freud styuudent dem, Karen Horney, shi tek im aan. An shi neva aani. Dat a fi ar ozban niem. Fi ar brien did de pan rapid. Shi se a no yu badi an yu jenda kanchruol ou yu laif a go ton out. A ou yu gruo. A yu kolcha. An shii se som man a sofa fram “Gebärmutter Neid”: dem groj uman fi ar wuum. Chruu uman kyari biebi iina ar wuum an luk aafta pikni, wi gat nof pouwa. An man no av dat. A it mek nof a dem go iina palitiks, far instans, fi chrai ron tingz, siek a dem no gat no wuum.

TAAK WI MAIN IINA PAALIMENT

Mi wonda if a grojful fi chruu mek som man a chrai so aad fi kanchruol uman uum. Aal laik ou plenti man no waahn du notn fi chienj di uol-taim laa iina Jamieka we ton uman iina kriminal if shi disaid ar main fi get a abaashan. Laif foni iihn! Man kuda groj uman fi ar wuum an stil no waant ar fi gi op di pouwa a di wuum wen it suut ar? Uman nat sopuoz fi kanchruol fi ar uona badi?

Laas ier, nof a wi go a Paaliment an taak wi main bout di laa. Som a difen di laa; som gens it! A di Human Resources and Social Development Committee lisn wi. Ronnie Thwaites im did a di edman fi di komiti. Dem rait dem ripuot an fram wat mi get fi andastan dem “laid” it iina Paaliment pan Maach 25 dis ya ier.

Wat mii waahn nuo, a ou lang it a go lidong de bifuor Paaliment riez it op. Som ripuot de iina kuoma fi aal ten ier. Mi tingk se som a dem MP ya no waahn chienj di laa. Dem fried fi di vuota dem – uman an man – we a difen di bakwod abaashan laa. Ilekshan a kom, vairos ar no vairos. Dem no waahn luuz no vuot siek a abaashan. Dem beta tek op di ripuot fram we it lidong. Ar nof uman an man maita abaat dem taim iina Paaliment.

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com