(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley may think his ‘women are like golf courses’ comment is making something out of nothing, but the Network of NGOs thinks otherwise.
In a statement on Saturday, the organization said that to equate a woman with a golf course is offensive and demeaning.
The Network stated that comparing women to a golf course is not to be taken as a misspeak.
At the Parliament sitting on Thursday during his contribution to the budget debate, the prime minister, in defending the $3 million allocation for the upgrade of the Chaguaramas golf course, said: “A golf course is like a woman, so you have to groom her every day otherwise it turns into a pasture.”
Several groups have spoken out against Rowley’s comment.
“He really does means that. That is his true vision of the worth and capacity of women, ‘mout open tory jump out” He probably also thinks it is a clever image. We may ask what number iron was that. I took the trouble to google ‘ golf course grooming” and here is what I found” the Network stated.
“A golf course needs grooming but cannot do it for itself. That is where Rowley comes in as prime groomer.
“To mow properly he has to check the equipment and make sure it is in good working order, hence the check ups.
“He needs to mow frequently and also to top dress it regularly. No two greens are alike or need the same amount of grooming. After you reach the level of playing quality you desire you do not need to groom as often”.
“Now that we understand his thinking”, the Network stated,” it is time to proceed to teach him a thing or two about women as autonomous human beings”.
The Network said it was a “shame that the Prime Minister has such a poor and depraved view of women”.
“But what are we, women of Trinidad and Tobago, as a thinking, empowered collective, going to do about it?” the network asked.
“I do not believe an apology will do any good, because that is who he truly is.
“The ‘irony” is that important matters of policy related to women and girls in Trinidad and Tobago, who they are, and what they can do, come under his direct power and control.
“Just when you think the language and disrespect could not get worse, it does”
