Black Immigrant Daily News

According to the United Nations, today, July 11, is World Population Day. The UN warns, however, that while some may marvel at advances in health (including longer life spans), technology and improvements in gender equality, the benefit of these positive experiences have not been felt universally. To get an understanding of the disparities, we can look at the status of some population-related issues right here in Cayman.

Health

Looking at access to affordable healthcare, for example, we know that, for a long time, there have been aging seniors and people with cancer and other sicknesses who could not afford health insurance in Cayman.

In these scenarios, those with access to high income or good jobs could get the best insurance packages and care for themselves. However, those who were unemployed (due to retirement or otherwise) and who didn’t have post-retirement or unemployment health insurance benefits, went without health insurance or were forced to wait in long lines at the Needs Assessment Unit, hoping to get an assessment and access to government insurance. Alternatively, they sought the help of a charity.

Some people eventually received assistance, however, some also died while waiting for help or waiting to be reassessed or died shortly after receiving insurance assistance following a long period of wait.

Housing

In connection with housing, good jobs and livable incomes allow some people in Cayman to enjoy a place to comfortably rest their heads at night. However, others struggle with the high cost of housing or cannot meet basic income requirements to qualify for a loan to purchase a home.

Instead of being compassionate and understanding of people’s struggles, however, we sometimes conclude quickly that some people are having problems qualifying for housing or making mortgage payments because they frequently try to live beyond their means rather than setting their eyes on what they can afford. While these instances exist, the rapidly rising population in Cayman, fast-paced development and land speculation by buyers has also increased the demand for housing, pushing prices up. This, coupled with crises like the COVID-19 pandemic (which impacted global supply chains) and the Russia-Ukraine war, has exacerbated the issue, resulting in even more price hikes for building and construction materials needed for housing.

The different scenarios have impacted the prices of affordable homes in different degrees over the years, the outcome of which is that prices have gone from about $150,000 many years ago to about $300,000 now, leaving some people unable to even qualifying for a loan. The more people settle in Cayman at a rapid rate, the more these prices will increase.

Gender equality

Cayman’s melting pot of people also brings different expectations regarding legislation and the protections and benefits that such legislation should afford certain groups of people, in particular women.

When it comes to level playing fields for income in relation to women, for example, Cayman boasts a visible number of women in executive positions, commanding similar salaries as men in some cases. While this gives women a a modicum of confidence that things are changing, more still needs to be done to achieve true equity for women.

In relation to representation in government, even as the population grows, the number of women represented in Parliament and the Cabinet is still low. It is unclear whether this is a reflection that less women are showing interest in politics or that some voters not choosing more females to lead the country into the future in the country’s highest policy positions.

In another area- that of safety for women and children- this seems to attract a low level of attention in Cayman’s media space, notwithstanding the high risks of domestic violence, indecent assaults, rape and other violent offences toward women discussed in detail in the 2021 crime statistics from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and in various court cases. The outcome in a growing population seems to be that, instead of increasing sensitivity to these issues, the growing population in Cayman appears to be becoming desensitized to the issues, evidence of which could be, perhaps, the lack of public debate, lack of public protests or marches to raise awareness and to tackle the issues head on.

Constitutional rights

When it comes to Cayman’s highest document, the constitution, there are still questions whether residents’ constitutional rights are properly respected or “count” in the Cayman Islands.

Where there is a law, for example, that is not compatible with a person’s rights under the Bill of Rights or where there is a finding in legal proceedings that legislation is not compatible with the Bill of Rights, the constitution requires that such legislation must, so far as it is possible to do so, be read and given effect in a way which is compatible with the Bill of Rights and the court must make a declaration recording that the legislation is incompatible with the relevant section or sections of the Bill of Rights and the nature of that incompatibility.

The issue with breaching an innocent person’s rights in this case, however, weirdly does not affect the continuation in force and operation of the offending legislation. Quite oddly, after a court case discussing threatened or actual constitutional breaches, it is left up to elected members of Parliament to determine how to remedy the incompatibility while innocent members of the public suffer uncertainties regarding their constitutional rights and remedies for breaches by any party.

As a resolution to this issue, a changing, sophisticated population like Cayman should consider amending the constitution to state that, where legislation threatens or infringes on a person’s rights, the relevant part of that legislation should be considered invalid and void. This is a logical position to take to properly protect people’s constitutional rights. It also gives more certainty to the general public as to the level of respect held for their rights, rather than having to wait weeks, months or years for Parliament to make a policy decision to amend relevant legislation to make it compatible with the Bill of Rights.

NewsAmericasNow.com