Bermuda’s Newest Export – Women & Children
[Written by Toni Daniels, Bermuda Democratic Alliance Secretary on Empowerment of Women]
A recent report sheds a harsh light on the value we put on women and children in this society: Bermudian women are choosing to emigrate with their children to the United Kingdom to take advantage of unemployment and child care benefits. This means something has gone horribly wrong in our society if living on welfare in a foreign country is preferable to living in Bermuda.
Is this the New Bermuda promised by the PLP in 1998? Is this the best that our current Government can offer our society? Have they been so busy centralizing Government to a tight inner circle, growing our national debt and dishing out contracts like candy to a chosen few that they have ignored the plight of the very people they promised to help twelve years ago?
I thought we had a health-care system that was free to children up to age 16. I thought we had free day-care plus free education up to the age of 18 and beyond if students take advantage of what the Bermuda College has to offer. I thought we had a financial assistance programme that supported those who fall between the cracks of our economy. I thought we had a Government working hard to create affordable housing for Bermudian families. I thought we had a Government “for the people”.
If we have all this, what has gone so wrong that Bermudian women – single women with children – are choosing to go to a foreign country and live on welfare? Not only are they going but they are being encouraged and mentored to do so by a charity that is named the Coalition for the Protection of Children.
Bermuda, are we protecting our children by sending them off to live in a foreign country, on the dole and in government housing projects? Is life for single women in Bermuda so bad that this is a better option? Is this the Bermuda that we want – one that cannot support its most vulnerable citizens or raise its children?
England, for those of us who have the luxury of visiting and then leaving, is not an inexpensive place to live. England also has crime. It has drug-related crime. It has guns, shootings, muggings, break-ins and theft. Even in the parking lots of places as benign as garden centres there are signs everywhere advising patrons not to leave anything on view in their parked cars or it will be stolen. Adults in England fear for their own protection on trains, buses, and the streets as foul-mouthed and uncontrolled youngsters who know their rights test the impotence of the authorities that allows them to bully and intimidate.
A quick ‘Google” of unemployment statistics in the U.K. reveals that 19.2 percent of households (almost one in five) have no working adult. Single parent households with dependent children (like our Bermudian emigrants) form the highest percentage of workless households at almost 40 percent. In actual numbers this means there are 5.4 million people ages 16-64 and an additional 1.9 million children living in workless households in the U.K.
The last time I checked, it is still women who give birth to children. It is still women who decide whether or not to have children, aka, ‘No, I am not having your baby”. Why aren’t we empowering our women to choose education and work over single parenthood, poverty and welfare? Having a boy’s baby does not make him a father but having a baby does make a woman a mother. She will always bear the responsibility and expense of parenthood as the fastest way to long-term poverty is single motherhood at an early age.
Far too much time and attention has been spent on the ‘young black male’ of Bermuda. This false labeling of uneducated and unemployable Bermudians is diverting attention from the real problem – a public education system that is failing our youth in one of the richest countries on earth. Young women are also failing and by having babies instead of further education they are condemned to a life of hardship if not poverty.
Are we now going to allow the export our own people – including innocent children – to hide the shameful failure of our education and social systems? Bermuda, we need to come together as a people to stop this rot before it spreads to other sectors, like the disabled, the elderly, the sick and the frail. This trend is like the canary in the coal mine. It is a warning to which we either pay attention or suffer the consequences. We need the Bermuda Democratic Alliance to pull together all the best minds in this country to start actually solving some of our problems. There is a better way!
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Get what you deserve by who you vote for! Please steal more Government money, please give me more taxes, please give me more licks! Don’t come crying to me!!
I love this article.
I like how black males have finally stopped becoming the core focus. It is clear that the public has been distracted by only one segment of the problem (the black male), and that women, in particular young mothers, and children have not been given enough attention.
Very good work.
I have a question for you Toni Daniels. Bearing in my mind that my generation of business school graduates, ages 21 – 30 are struggling to get jobs in our fields, (or outside of our fields for that matter)… we have qualified accountants working as labourers, and nurses working as waitpersons… What is so wrong about wanting support from our government?
We have some of the larger employers advertising positions in the newspaper, when they already have someone to fill them. We have banks refusing locals loans, because they ‘don’t feel comfortable with it’. I hear locals and foreigners calling the unemployed lazy, unqualified, and I hear empty promises, and severe underreporting of the unemployment levels. Why would someone want to stay on this island and struggle?
The UK government has opened its arms to us Bermudians, and treats us as equals. That is the type of government that I want, and that is why so much of my family is now living (I should say thriving) in the United Kingdom. The UK is not a foreign country, it is Our Country.
Agreed, and is the focus of this writing. As a people we should be able to look to our Government for help and support of our vulnerable, but such solutions are dis-empowering, are reactive and can often exacerbate the issues (short & long term). Rather, the solutions should be PROACTIVE – this will benefit citizens and Government for the future and are far more empowering. This trend of migration is a dangerous sign of the situation in Bermuda seriously failing it’s people, and while the UK Government has welcomed us to date, that generosity comes at a high price for British taxpayers and their already overburdened welfare system. And this absolutely should not exempt the Bermuda Gvmnt. from its obligations to it’s people – particularly a Gvmnt. that suggests an aspiration for independance from the UK. This is no solution for anyone, although I cannot fault mothers who feel that they have no other alternatives.
What is failed to mention here is that majority if not all single women know the reprocutions of there actions and all of them realise that education is a vital part of them to reach there “dream job” but if you are denyed help by any means from our government you have to turn else where. The welfare and help given abroad is way diffrent from here there you have your own space children are given opportunities, education is better, there clothing and food is provided for, there is more activties that cater the the children every week there is something diffrent to do, I mean who wouldnt want that.
Its called the easy way out great article by the way. Bermuda does not have a welfare system and as far as i am concerned it should stay that way so that we do not have people that do nothing but collect their checks every month or week. People should have to work for what they want and get like everyone else there should be no exception to that. Single women that move away to collect welfare that is a different story since buying a house in bermuda is on average one million, and to rent a decent apartment the seem to start at around 1200 a month which is absurd. All in all every one has choices to make in life whether they make the right ones is up to them.
I do not believe that anyone one wants Bermuda or Bermudians to rely on welfare. We are in a recession and the present job market can not support our people. I see it more as an ‘only way out’, not an easy way out.
We are currently recovering from a recession. And yes there are plenty of jobs in Bermuda you just have to look and apply, and do not give up which most end up doing.
but if the jobs in the paper are already approved for a foreign worker and the only reason it is being put in the paper is because the company has to, then what hope is there for a Bermudian who is qualified to do the job. Yes continue to try and find something to do in the mean time but if that particular job cannot even get you by, then whats the alternative…hello seek other help. But help is not given due to the fine print and qualification you must meet. Next option and for many its our mother country the UK.
On that I can not agree with you. For the bulk of my lifetime Bermuda has had overemployment… not anymore. There are less jobs than people to fill them. That is the reality. When people are unable to work, they need to either move somewhere else to find work, or get support from their government.
It is the import of these families from America and now the UK that will bring back deeper social problems on their return^^
Just to add to this article, there is free health care over in the UK, and a lot more schooling opportunities over in the UK. Can you learn how to be a midwife for free + bursary at Bermuda College? Nope..
And the “not inexpensive” comment is ridiculous, I lived in England. Sure if you want to go to Oxford street (and almost anywhere in London) and do your shopping its not going to be cheap. Tesco and the like have more deals you can shake a stick at, sometimes I would actually have to refuse deals cause I couldn’t eat all of the food they were offering me for free. And within these stores are cheap clothing that you will never find at an equal price in Bermuda, unless you go to The Barn.
England has more job and school opportunities, free health care, cheaper food and clothing.. Hellllllooooo!
Oh give me strength. I am a born and bred Londoner. I lived in London all my life until I moved away after having enough of the UK. Firstly, its not just food and clothing – there is council tax, 40% on your earnings, 20% VAT, TV licence, water rates, land rates – would you like me to go on? Bermuda is expensive, but the wages you earn here do allow you to live and I am not a broker or banker or insurer or lawyer. Im just a normal person. Secondly, advising single mothers with children to go to the UK is beyond the stupid. I come from East London that has some of the roughest council estates known to man in the UK – Newham, Tower Hamlets etc. Bring your children up in these estates and you are potentially (note I said potentially for all those who want to jump all over me) creating a whole new breed of gangster that would make the ones here look like Mickey Mouse. So Bermuda, when encouraging the young to move to this wonderful UK you are talking about that will provide and educate and treat you when you are ill, did you really ever think about the can of worms you will open when this new breed of gangster returns to the island? Just a thought……
We have to also consider that most of the women who are moving to the UK are young. They have made choices that may or may not have been the best. Some have gone to better their lives by getting an education and becoming a productive citizen, while others have gone to skate by and do nothing. I certaily hope Bermuda does not adopt a welfare system!
Well I thought the welfare system was to assist persons who have fallen on hard times, until they have gotten them selves together. Not to encourage people to leave their country and take advantage of another countrys generousity where it will deplete their system, and eventually their people will be effected because we Bermudians have taken what they are rightfully entitled too. There is no such thing as free lunch, we all end up paying.
When I hear comments like this I suffer to understand the logic. We are UK citizens. These are our rights. 66000 Bermudians moving to the UK is nothing compared to the 4 million people there that are currently unemployed.
Again, the UK is not another country is our country, and life there is far better.
Read the comments of people like ‘Goingto, Jays, and here’. I have worked in 9 different cities and can safely say that the opportunities are not in Bermuda anymore.
big up insideman.
I have two friends that left and took their children to the UK and one that left and took her kids to the States. Two of them are married so its not just ‘single’ mothers looking to get on welfare. I don’t believe for one minute that any of these women left to go sit on welfare for the rest of their lives, reporting it that was just makes for an interesting story and gossip. These women know that they can further their education, while having thier basic living expenses taken care of by the government. They also know that they have the opportunity to give their children a better education, as we all know that Bermuda’s public schools are failing generation after generation. A small few may perceive the move as an easy way out, however they will soon learn this is not the case, but I strongly believe that for the magority of these mothers its their only way out. The only way they can advance themselves, so that they can come back to Bermuda, have a decent career, and buy their dream home. I am leaving with my kids. I am going to Canada. I am not single. I want a better life for my family. I am sick of paying 2 thousand dollars a month in rent and $400 bucks a month to belco, working day after day and not being able to get ahead, and just not having a quality life with my family. I can leave here, send my kids to college, go back to school myself, buy my dream home, and have the time and resources to give my kids the life they deserve. Kudos to every mother who makes it.
Amen! I wish every country could be like Canada:)
Toni,
You failed to mention that “recent report” was actually comments made by Sheilagh Cooper in the Bermuda Sun. Ms. Cooper in fact came on the radio to state that the Bermuda Sun had reported incorrectly. I personally don’t believe that there are that many Bermudian women, if any, that are traveling to the U.K. so that they can benefit from the “dole”. I do believe, however, that there are Bermudians who are studying in the U.K. and have their children with them while they are studying. Actually, my son is in that category.
For the record, I have 1 employee and 2 others personally known to me whom are all single mothers making plans to leave Bermuda for the UK within the next 6-12 months in exactly the manner I have described – for benefits and help that they cannot get here….and I am sad to say that I have a family member that did the same thing (although not the initial intent, they have discovered the “benefits” of welfare in the UK and it has negated their return to struggle in Bermuda).
While that statement may be true for some. There are plenty of women going to the UK to live on the DOLE. Bermudian women are moving for better opportunities…but the definition to some are to go and get an education to better themselves…to get a job. Others is to stay home collect the checks…spend it on their back first because you know we all are fashionistas (even if we are broke) then pay whatever else needs to be paid. I know of quite a few people who have gone over and do nothing. I also know of those who have gone to better themselves. So really its 6 and 2 3′s. What do you do. They probably need case workers helping the ones who have come to do nothing but be lazy and expect the world to be given to them.
Very interesting comments. The article was not all that useful in my opinion, in terms of our effecting change within Bermuda. It only highlighted the problem, which any of us, and most news agencies already have done.
What the article did highlight, which is important to keep in all our minds, is the fact that our present government, who is generally regarded as being in favour of an independent Bermuda, has our people relying heavily on services available from an ‘overseas’ government – all of which can easily be withdrawn by the newly elected Torys.
A huge thing for us would be some sort of assistance for EVERYONE at a tertiary level of education. I remember this question was posed to Premier Ewart Brown at the London student’s dinner last year and after attempting to deflect away from the question, framed it as “would your parents want to pay more taxes?”
We all presently pay taxes. The government has a purse. The matter is, what are they doing with the revenue they presently have. Many ideas of where money could be diverted from to assist with social programs is the defence budget. Small(ish) states such as Costa Rica have long done away with their army, in favour of more investment and attention towards the education system.
But I’m sure many would argue that that’s another matter. Although it may be related. If the Regiment is the disciplinary heavy that many claim it is, why are our we in our present situation, in terms of the prevalencce of young single (female) parent households??
If I want to take my child and go to the ‘Mother Country’ why not, if the Mother Country doesn’t want us…. cut us loose…
I’m a single mother and I work my butt off to take care of my son. If I want to move to the UK, it’s not because I want to sit on my butt and reap the benefits that they have. I would be moving to make sure my son gets a decent education and is exposed to the things that Bermuda cannot offer. I know many people who have moved to the UK and it’s not all about welfare. Some of the people who are commenting seem to be somewhat bashing those who have chosen to move just because they were looking for better opportunities. That’s a bit unfair don’t you think.
I agree sunshine, I say more power to those who have made the move. And England is NOT another country, all we need to do is look at the passport issued by the Dept of Immigration! and we have been host to many a resident of England some for many (too many) years.
I think the article does a good job of high-lighting an alarming trend. When individuals are willing to pick up, move away from extended family to leap into the unknown, then this should suggest that there are some basic things that Bermuda is lacking which no longer makes it the kind of place where individuals want to raise their children.
On another note, this trend does not exist only amongst single mothers, there are a number of married Bermudians I am aware of who are actively looking to moving over to the UK – not with a view to living on the ‘dole’, but to provide some of the basic necessities and opportunities for their children which many feel is not being provided here. From affordable housing to quality education.
It’s funny how all of a sudden it has become our country when a few years back everybody wanted to be seperated from the UK!!!! They will see when they get there that the health care maybe free but you will wait for medical attention.
HOLD UP SALLY!!!!!! I don’t think it is fair to speculate that everyone in Bermuda agreed/agrees to going independent..I sure as heck do not.
Given that support for Independence has never climbed beyond 40% I’m not quite sure who “everybody” is…
OK then majority!!!!
Um. 40% is hardly a ‘majority’. Um just sayin…
Hear hear Sally!!!
Ive gone to financial assistance to get assistance and was told i am not eligible. The system in Bermuda sets single mothers up to fail. I work – 2 jobs, but paying $1875 for rent, plus other bills, etc, I struggle to cover all bills.
Family court has failed me, as I am owed of $45,000 in child support. Financial Assistance will not help – has faild me, so the UK and getting assistance seems like a good plan for me, as Bermuda Gov is failing my family
I have NEVER wanted to go independent and I’m sure a lot of people who have responded to this article don’t. And you may have to wait for health care, but it’s better than not being able to afford it at all. Trust me, I work in health insurance, I have heard what the lower class has to say about health insurance and how they don’t go to the doctor because they simply cannot afford it.
Next time make sure you know what you’re talking about..
Co-signed.
Also, as someone that has been robbed in a foreign country, I must say it is nice having the British Embassy for support. Independence will only limit us as a people.
I’m glad some one noticed! My life hasn’t been easy since my now ex girlfriend left the island like six years ago with my son. I haven’t tangibly seen him in five years now because our country and or government showed very little interest in supporting struggling families, let alone the fortunate people in our society outcasting people thats less fortunate than them or people who were or are in position in government or otherwise irresponsibly abusing their power or power tripping over personal vendetta or blacklisting etc., to show how much control they have over the less fortunate to make themselves look bigger better or smarter, anyway thats another story, but it’s still apart of why a lot of women of Bermuda have fled to the U.K. with there children. Unfortunately, it has also created domestic issues as far as family structure is concerned, including mothers and fathers separating causing a split within the family because of salvaging issues over nationality and and or job security. Also we have single mother issues of them not getting supported at all in no way shape or form. We maybe in a bigger crises in our country Bermuda, than we realize! Who’s at fault parents,government or the country as a whole?
I read abit of this but ‘insideman’ says something about a recession.
Ok Man. 60,000 people, 20 odd thousand children, thats about who works at Disney World in Florida give or take a few zombies. whats your point.
Recession/s affect all. We are in a small one one but the deeper problem lies in it’s managment by GOVERNMENT..and the ‘buck’ stops there..or sort off.
Mickey Mouse operation and yet you want Him to be COB………Sad…….
Normally you and I have seen eye to eye mate. My point regarding the recession pertained to the fact unemployement has been in decline in the UK.
More specifically my point is that if the entire island relocated,we would not have a significant impact on the current state of the UK economy. This point was relevant to a previous comment.
a lot of our problems with this issue come from our lack of values and our constant drop in standards………..men and women “fall in lust (love); have kids; fall out of love (lust) and the girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband becomes “dem children’s mama my “baby daddy” instantly. we have yet another generation of babies having babies, uneducated having uneducated (and not to mistaken for dumb or stupid) children; poverty breeding poverty etc. Toni and everyone else have some valid points but the reality is that we have missed the crux of the matter……the majority happen to be single parents the minority married couples.
The anecdotal data is skewed and we need to stop squabbling over anyone who is leaving to better themselves or live on the dole as it is their choice. Bermuda is part of the global economy contrary to popular belief (all of you Bermuda is another world fanatics) and we suffer/benefit like anyone else…..is Bermuda or Bermudians not allowed to seek betterment elsewhere?
no country is perfect and world history illustrates cases like the original subject hundreds of years and counting….
let us stop beating each other up and realize that Bermuda has changed into that OTHER WORLD that we used to go and visit and quickly return from….all whilst remembering that a rest is as good as a change and accepting the simpler things in life in our island home which seems now to be the prostitute of the world for foreigners to prosper whilst Bermudians struggle……………….all whilst another Bd’an or Bd’ans allow it to happen and not for all negative reasons (i can elaborate but the fingers are tired for now
In the past 20 years it was thought by the true believeers that Bermuda would continue to grow and attract international business. Yes, there would be foreign workers, but Bermudians would benefit through education and overseas training. They would gradually rise up into these companies, increase their earnings powers, and the country would move forward. The formula created wealth and spin off, spinoff to build and maintain the governement, schools, housing, etc. We know that without the foreign element, Bermuda has nothing because it all relates to foreign exchange. Pronle, is the ball was dropped ono education. FULL STOP. Bermudians didn’t get educated, thee were too many spcialised jobs and Bermudians almost never bothered with the training. We wanted to be teachers,human resource people,social workers, etc and what we needed were actuaries, accountants, underwriters, investment managers, business leaders. Today we have the dumbing down of Bermuda. As thousands of work permits are cancelled will Bermudians get jobs? Some, certainly. Mainly these jobs will go unfilled and soon the balance will tip -the companies will no longer be able to maintain a viable business presence and they will quietly wind down. It’s not becaue they don’t want to hire Bermudians (they all do)rather they cana’t find the skills they need. I have degrees and experience. There are few jobs out there for me in today’s Bermuda. Governement has failed us, and we have failed each other. Despite the mess we still don’t acknowledge the need for foreign workers; we still deny the importance of the exampt companies; we still marginalised the opinions of international world leaders living on our doorsteps. Rather we rack ourselves over the plight of the black male, and yet are afraid to define the numbers. We were almost 40,000 workers. Do we dumb down to the lowest common denominatorand destroy all that, or should we get back to what Bermuda has always done best -work for the yankee dollar- but ensure that we do now for everyone. The problem isn’t $1000/month family rent (No-where in a comparably limited and affluent place like Bermuda could it possibily be lower) but rather the fact that the renter CAN’T make that kind of money. Education is opportunity is wealth creation. Dumbing down is a spiral.