Burchell says apology from JLP ex-mayors would ring hollow

WESTERN BUREAU:

People’s National Party (PNP) standard-bearer in St James Southern, Nekeisha Burchell, has labelled as sexist and deeply disrespectful remarks made about her personal appearance at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) conference in the constituency on Sunday.

Burchell will be seeking to unseat incumbent Member of Parliament Homer Davis in the next general election, which is due by September 2025.

In an address, Senator Charles Sinclair charged that Burchell has done some form of augmentation to parts of her body.

“And they have a lady named Burchell that is running up and down all over the place, and it’s only three Bs you hear them talking about in respect to the lady. One B is that she name Burchell, and that is the good B,” Sinclair said as he encouraged JLP supporters to stick with Davis for a better constituency. “But the other two Bs, and you see them advertise it on their platform, is round a back (constantly touching his bottom) and round a front (while touching his chest), and all of that is a false B.”

DISGUST

Some JLP supporters openly expressed disgust with the utterances and there were further expressions after Davis, who is also a state minister, continued in the same vein.

“I am here to tell you that this is not a beauty contest because if I am looking for a beauty contest, I think I have one of the most beautiful women, and this is my wife,” Davis said while parading his wife, Dr Carlene Grant-Davis, before Prime Minister Andrew Holness and other senior party officials on the platform.

Holness did not add to the verbal attack in his hour-long address.

Burchell, a communication specialist and deputy general secretary in the PNP, said the utterances by the men, who are both former mayors of Montego Bay, were aimed at tarnishing her campaign.

“This behaviour not only aims to tarnish the integrity of my campaign but underscores a regressive and demeaning attitude towards women in politics. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes that reduce women in politics to mere physical attributes, creating a hostile culture that disrespects the essential role of women in politics and society,” she told The Gleaner yesterday.

“Homer Davis’ actions on stage, including [parading] his wife for political gain, were not only disrespectful but also shamefully objectifying,” Burchell added. “I felt second-hand embarrassment for her as he aggressively manhandled her on stage, treating her as a mere prop for his ego.

“Women should never be reduced to props in politics or any other context. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for an overhaul in political behaviour. South St James deserves better.”

Burchell said an apology from the men would have no worth.

She said that the men would have missed some of the Bs that can be attributed to her: “My brain, academic brilliance, blessings from my Creator, and the fact that my best years are ahead.”

In a public statement, the PNP Women’s Movement demanded an apology, while calling for greater protection of women in politics.

“These derogatory comments aimed at Nekeisha Burchell ... are not only offensive, but also perpetuate insidious stereotypes that have no place in our political discourse,” Patricia Duncan Sutherland said yesterday.

“The PNP Women’s Movement demands a full retraction and a public apology not only from Senator Charles Sinclair and Member of Parliament Homer Davis but from the entire JLP leadership.”

The women’s group also called on Gender Affairs Minister Olivia Grange to address the issue.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com