A group set up to promote women’s health in the police service celebrated International Women’s Day at the Women in Policing Network seminar on Saturday.
Attendees at the event heard about a range of common conditions, including breast cancer, and were given tips on how to reduce the risk of the disease.
The group of about 50 people heard from health experts, including Dr. Anna Matthews, a general practitioner with the Health Services Authority, and representatives from the Breast Cancer Foundation.
Police Constable Kaffion McLaughlin, one of the organisers of the Women in Policing Network seminar, said police personnel suffered from common health problems, in line with wider societal trends, many worsened by lifestyle choices.
She added, “A lot of officers experience high blood pressure and diabetes. “This is all about how to maintain your health as you go along.”
McLaughlin said, “There are a lot of officers who are ill and we have lost some from heart attacks, strokes and other heart problems.
“This event can bring awareness – breast cancer is prevalent and it’s International Women’s Day. We can reach out to women who are at risk of this type of illness.”
She explained that the police service conducted fitness tests for serving officers.
She said, “Once you reach a certain age, you have to take a test to continue. Officers need to continue to maintain their health, watch what they eat and look after themselves.”
Technology offers new ways for people to monitor their health, which increases the chances of spotting potential problems early, McLaughlin added.
The five-hour seminar also featured stalls run by insurance companies, the Employee Assistance Programme, physiotherapy services and personal trainers, who led a physical education session at the end of the event that also highlighted the benefits of yoga.
The event, at the Cayman International School in Camana Bay, was open to other government employees, including civil servants.
A group of girls from the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps also attended.
Inspector Antonio Hanna, the “HeForShe” representative in the Cayman police, said his role was created to support the service’s female staff and to encourage male officers to “support, inspire and empower” women in the organisation.
Hanna added his job also involved confronting misogyny in the ranks and discrimination against women.
He said, “One of my jobs is to try and encourage my male counterparts to be aware of these things and, when they see it, report it.”
But Hanna added that male officers often offended women through ignorance rather than malice.
He said, “We are trying to create awareness in the organisation. We send out from time to time general emails about specific types of things they might want to consider or look out for.”
Hanna added, “We do find it’s a challenge, certainly. We have one woman in a senior command role and the rest are inspectors or below, so there is a big gap in middle and senior management.”
But he said he hoped more women could be encouraged to aspire to the highest roles in the service.
The meeting heard from the Breast Cancer Foundation, that the average age of diagnosis for the disease in Cayman was 47, compared to 57 for the Caribbean region and 63 worldwide.
But the foundation’s awareness and wellness coordinator, Clare Thorpe, said it has helped women diagnosed with the disease aged from just 19 to over 90.
Beverly Edgington, chief administrator of the foundation, added, that risk factors for the disease included being overweight, and even a relatively low alcohol intake could increase the chance of developing breast cancer.
She said the foundation offers a range of support for women with the disease and could assist people who could not afford some services.
Edgington added, “Our goal is that nobody dies of breast cancer in the Cayman Islands.”
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