Ria Karim
The theme of International Women’s Day (IWD), 2024, celebrated on Friday (March 8) is “Inspire Inclusion”. According to the official IWD website (www.internationalwomensday.com), “One of the key pillars of “Inspire Inclusion” is the promotion of diversity in leadership and decision-making positions. Women, especially those belonging to underrepresented groups, continue to face barriers when seeking leadership roles.”
As I read these words, I could think of many areas where women face a myriad of impediments in ascending to leadership, but none as glaring as our Carnival industry. Indeed, the patriarchy is real in T&T’s Carnival sector.
“The patriarchy” refers to a system or structure in which men hold most, if not all, of the power, and women are essentially excluded from the decision-making processes while being active participants in said system. In the case of T&T Carnival (and all diaspora carnivals), women are not just participants in the industry, we are the bread and butter of the industry.
Women are the faces and bodies that attract much-coveted tourist visits and local participation, and we represent the vast majority of masqueraders, fete attendees and mas practitioners and creatives–costume designers, seamstresses, models, make-up artists, hair stylists, nail techs, event planners, brand promoters at events, to name a few. We number highly as headline performers at events and on the road. Women, it is well known, numerically, proportionately and in terms of actual consumer spend, are the most powerful customer group for Carnival.
The Maths not mathsin’
It is an enigma to me, therefore, that the Carnival industry today remains almost entirely controlled by men at the decision-making levels, and indeed, the lion’s share of profits reside in the pockets of men. Bands in T&T that are owned and run entirely by women are few, and only a couple of others are male-female partnerships.
Let’s take a moment to allow that to sink in. In the year 2024, in a democratic, modern society such as ours, close to 100 per cent of the Carnival bands, Carnival brands, fetes, and logistical providers ie, the most profitable entities in our Carnivals are owned almost exclusively by men, who make most of their money from female customers.
Year after year this persists, and I can tell you from first-hand experience and direct accounts of women I have worked alongside, that this is not in any way due to a lack of effort, initiative, creativity or motivation by women. In my view and experience, it is the effect of the stranglehold of a “boys’ club”.
Women’s roles in the sector appear to be highly restricted–either intentionally or unintentionally–to those of service providers as opposed to decision-makers.
With men making the final call on the way Carnival unfolds, looks and feels, is it any wonder that women are left to innovate and cater to our concerns as individuals or small groups, all the while paying hefty fees for fete tickets and costumes? Women pay disproportionately more in an “all-inclusive band”, yet the benefits advertised as “included” apply only to those amenities that are utilised by both sexes (access, music, bar, food etc). Typically, after collecting his costume, the man is “road-ready”. Conversely, having paid significantly more than men (beyond the market value of the costume itself), women are nowhere close to ready for mas and typically spend thousands more on alterations, Monday Wear, stockings, accessories, tanning, hair, make-up, nails and footwear among many other “mas essentials”.
I always chuckle when people say, “If you don’t like the way it is, just don’t play mas.” To make such a ludicrous statement is to diminish the importance of Carnival to our history and culture. It was born out of a visceral need for overt emotional and creative expression by the oppressed. It stands to reason that today, many women see Carnival as the one time they can “free up” and express themselves without judgement and restriction, and therefore are willing to pay the hefty price tags to preserve this revered opportunity.
The business side of Carnival
When it comes to female practitioners and entrepreneurs in the industry, the picture is much bleaker. A cursory study of the industry would show power being heavily concentrated in the hands of one or two individual business entities (in economic terms, this is called a monopoly or oligopoly), and these industry leaders (mostly males) strongly influence the pricing structures (or lack thereof), terms for engagement, and quantities and standards of the products and services purchased by smaller businesses operating in the space.
In other words, whether the entrepreneurs like it or not, they depend on the “big boys” for their livelihoods. In such a scenario, one would imagine that many practitioners “toe the line” out of fear of victimisation or loss of income should they speak up or oppose the status quo.
This environment also sees big businesses reaping the most financial rewards, with benefits only just trickling down to those who serve as the engine rooms of the industry. A glaring example is a costume designer. By most accounts, designers may be subject to stated or unstated conditions of uncompensated exclusivity and ad-hoc designer fees, while having to foot the cost of prototype production, adjustments and modifications themselves. This creative process from ideation to approved design can take months upon months of work and the question is often asked–are they fairly paid for their work? Do they adequately benefit from the use of their intellectual property? Who determines what is fair pay/contractual terms for designers and models who depend on this work for a living? In a market as small as ours, can designing or modelling exclusively for one band, a living make?
The way forward
What is required is structure, standardisation and representation in the industry that lays the foundation for more equitable and inclusive participation by women and fair compensation for the work of Carnival creatives. The absence of this paints a highly oppressive and unattractive picture for our bright and talented people who may wish to enter the industry. Without a continuous inflow of new talent and fresh ideas, sustainability and evolution in the Carnival sector are impossible. I am therefore making a long overdue call for the formation of an Association of Carnival Creatives. This entity would allow for (1) Transparent discussion about current compensation models and practices; (2) Standardisation of contracts, terms and conditions of engagement by Carnival businesses; (3) Education on legal, administrative and IP-related issues; (4) Representation: receiving grievances of members, providing guidance and initiating discussions towards resolution of same; (5) Engaging stakeholders in meaningful discussions towards the greater inclusivity, protection and advancement of their members with emphasis on elevating the role and position of women in the sector.
Ria Karim is a business strategist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience helping organisations of different sizes grow and thrive.
She founded D’Junction App in 2015 and nurtured it into one of the most widely recognised, indigenous, woman-led tech businesses in the region. Karim has a keen interest in entrepreneurship and works as a mentor to start-ups in early-stage development. She is passionate about supporting women-founded businesses, especially in the technology space. She possesses a BSc from Georgetown University (hon) and an MBA (distinction) from the Arthur Lok Jack GSB.