A coalition of four prominent Caribbean civil society organizations — the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA), IGNITE, Youth Advocacy Movement (YAM) Grenada, and Caribbean Religious Voices for Justice (CRVJ) — has called for open, constructive public dialogue after a top Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) official made controversial comments framing leadership as an inherent male birthright. Dr. Nicole Manning, CXC’s Chief Operations Officer, recently claimed that men are born to lead, and that wider society should actively work to keep men in positions of authority. The coalition is pushing back against this claim, not to exclude men from leadership roles, but to challenge the dangerous idea that gender alone should grant access to power.
Drawing on theological framing from the Christian faith, CRVJ noted that the foundational creation story shared by most Abrahamic religions emphasizes equal dignity for all people, stating “So God created humankind in his image… male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27). The coalition points out that while selective religious interpretations have historically been used to prop up male privilege and justify gender-based inequality, these readings directly contradict Jesus Christ’s core message of radical love, liberation, and radical inclusion for all people.
The coalition emphasizes that there is no biological basis for dividing leadership and followership along gender lines. All children are born with unique potential, the group argues, and effective leadership is cultivated over time through intentional development of character, access to quality education, equal opportunity, meaningful relationship building, and practice taking responsibility for serving others. What is often mislabeled as “natural male leadership” is simply the outcome of systemic advantage: societies have long granted boys unearned authority from childhood while pressure girls to accept subordinate roles, turning repeated privilege into a pattern that appears natural to casual observers.
This dynamic is particularly visible across the Caribbean, the coalition notes. For generations, Caribbean women have stepped into leadership roles across every sector — leading households, grassroots communities, churches, schools, businesses, national advocacy movements, and entire nations — yet much of this transformative work has remained invisible or under-compensated, sidelined by persistent gender norms.
Instead of asking how society can help men retain their grip on power, the coalition argues, the public should confront deeper structural questions: Who designed the current systems that reserve leadership for men? Who is locked out of these spaces? And why should gender, rather than proven competence, strong character, and genuine calling, determine who gets to lead?
Rooted in Christian teaching, the coalition offers an alternative model of leadership, aligned with Jesus’s radical reorientation of power: “Whoever wants to be first must be servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). True leadership, the group argues, is defined by service, accountability, and a commitment to lifting up all community members, not domination of others or a sense of inherent entitlement to power.
The coalition supports a region-wide conversation about supporting boys and men, but stresses that this dialogue must center on building healthy masculinity — one that encourages boys to grow into compassionate, courageous, collaborative, and emotionally whole people, rather than equating manhood with control over others. This same freedom must extend to girls and women: they deserve the unapologetic right to pursue and hold leadership positions on their own merit.
Closing the persistent gender leadership gap is not about swapping male leaders for female leaders, the group clarifies. The ultimate goal is transforming the systemic structures that have tied power and leadership access to gender for centuries. Schools, churches, universities, workplaces, and public institutions across the region should assess leadership potential based on proven competence, personal integrity, clear vision, commitment to service, and accountability — not biological sex.
The coalition calls for a coordinated, region-wide response to address gender gaps in leadership, and frames this work as a collective opportunity to build a more equitable Caribbean. In this vision, both women and men can bring their full, authentic selves to leadership, power is shared rather than hoarded by a privileged group, and leadership is exercised to serve the common good rather than to rule over others.
This work is not an attack on men, the coalition emphasizes. It is an open invitation to all Caribbean people to reimagine and build a more just, effective model of leadership for the region.
A disclaimer notes that NOW Grenada does not take responsibility for the opinions and content shared by contributing organizations, and provides a channel for reporting abusive content.