Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
Faith Innerarity, director for social security in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
"I am very happy for how my grandmother brought me up (because) when I hear of some of the conditions of young girls today, they need that type of upbringing."
When Faith Innerarity's grandmother held her in her arms for the first time as a baby, she was convinced she was holding Jamaica's first female Prime Minister.
While this proved to be wrong, she was not far off as she did go on to serve with distinction in the public service, becoming the first woman to hold the post of chief technical director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. A position, which makes her responsible for all technical aspects of the work of the ministry.
This includes settling industrial disputes, ensuring industrial harmony. Her duties also include addressing occupational safety and health; issues relating to pay and employment conditions of workers, child labour matters and social issues.
"As chief technical director, I am expected to provide guidance in terms of the overall labour and social security portfolio in the ministry," she explains.
Getting there, not easy
But getting there was not easy, Mrs. Innerarity told The Gleaner. It was endurance and her namesake - "Faith" that helped her through the challenges that were there to face her at age 16-plus, when her grandmother died.
The Shortwood Practising School and St. Andrew Technical High School graduate was faced with continuing her education without any parental guidance. She was determined to pass her A' levels, a pre-requisite for entrance to the University of the West Indies.
She enrolled in the National Youth Service which had just come on stream in the 1970s. She got a full-time job at the Link's Children Home on Maxfield Avenue as a teacher. After work, she would attend evening classes at Mico Teachers' College for her A'level classes.
"I was registered for three A' levels and the other persons in the class told me that was impossible, I could not be working full time and doing A'levels," she says. "I was able to get my three A' levels within the same two years, working full time, but that was the most challenging time in my life and at the same time being responsible for balancing my own finances."
But Mrs. Innerarity credits her focus to her grandmother who she says instilled good values within her from an early age.
No time to get into trouble
"Part of my upbringing is that she did not allow me too much free time to get into any trouble, and, in fact, some of the things that I was brought up with (are): Do not smile with boys or men - 'that is an invitation', of course, she did not say what the invitation was for," she chuckles. "If a male offers you food - 'I am not hungry'; something to drink - 'I am not thirsty', any gift - 'do not accept it'."
She says this might seem very strict but it was this upbringing that kept her focused.
"I am very happy for how my grandmother brought me up (because) when I hear of some of the conditions of young girls today, they need that type of upbringing," she points out.
She says her Christian upbringing has also helped to shape her life.
"I am very happy that my grandmother insisted that I attended church, because I made a decision very early in my life to be a Christian and my entire outlook on life has been shaped by my Christian upbringing," she says.
Armed with a first degree in sociology from the University of the West Indies, young Faith landed a job in the public sector where she started out at the Ministry of Agriculture as a sociologist in 1981. She was quickly promoted to the assistant director and head of the project monitoring and evaluation unit.
She then did further studies in economic planning and after returning became director of the planning unit. In 1996, she was among a number of persons in the public service who were selected for accelerated promotion where they were exposed to special training and deployed to various ministries.
She was sent to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security where she became director of social security. A long trek of 26 years in the public sector, which she says she has enjoyed every moment of.
"I can say that I have absolutely no regrets. This is the best place I could have been serving my country," she says proudly.
She has not only made her mark locally but also internationally. This petite unassuming woman has represented Jamaica at the United Nations Commission for Social Development since 1996, and in 2001 she created history when she was elected the first female chairperson for the commission, and also the first from the Caribbean.
She has also chaired and presented papers at many United Nations Expert Group meetings and conferences on a range of social policy issues, for which she has received high commendations for her work.
One such commendation was from Ambassador Stafford Neil, former permanent representative at the UN, who expressed deep appreciation for the work she did when she was part of a delegation from the Commission on Social Development in 2005.
"I should tell you that her presence here was extremely helpful to us, particularly in discharging our responsibilities as Chairman of the Group of 77 and China," he said in a letter addressed to Alvin McIntosh, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
"Her knowledge and familiarity with the issues, as well as her experience in working with delegations, was extremely useful for ironing out difficulties and contributing to a successful outcome."
But despite all these accomplishments, Mrs. Innerarity says her greatest satisfaction, as it relates to her job, is that she is able to influence people's lives in terms of bringing about improvement in their quality of life.
"I see my service in the public service not just as a service, not just a job, but a service to mankind, and I see my service to mankind as service to God," she says. "I am here for a purpose. If you come on earth and you have not been able to be of benefit to others, then you would not have served."
Social security goal
Faith Innerarity shows her stock of books, which she uses for research at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
One of the goals she hopes to accomplish before retiring is to ensure that every Jamaican has a right to social security.
"We have a significant coverage gap. I would like to see that gap closed where everyone is covered," she explains. "Changes such as these take time, a part of the challenge too, is to convince the Jamaican population of the importance of planning for retirement. Many persons do not see retirement as very important, persons are sometimes more interested in the immediate gratification rather than the long-term issues."
But while she is trying to make a difference as she carries out her duties, Mrs. Innerarity has also found time to marry.
"We met through the church," she says blushing. "And of course, having met in the church, we had a very strict and circumspect courtship, with all the old-time values. We have been married for 26 years and we have been happy."
The union has produced a son. In her limited spare time, she relaxes by reading a good book. These including those written by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.
"Sometimes, if I have some free moments, I would go in and take out literature books from high school. I love Animal Farm. And from time to time I would go back and read Great Expectations or Huckleberry Finn," she says.
dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com
