Over 200 years ago Samuel Johnson remarked that “Men know that women are an over-match for them… If they did not think so, they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves.” And time has certainly proved that women can do anything men can do. (The converse is of course not true. An old joke has a woman ask a man “What’s the difference between us?”  “I can’t conceive” he answers.)

Some say it’s a man’s world, and men do hold most positions of authority.  But if those in power really intended to create a society that unequivocally favours males, they have failed miserably. Men have far shorter life spans than women, and commit suicide four times as often. Most judges, lawyers and police are men, yet 90% of prisoners are male. (This brings to mind another Dr. Johnson quote “Nature has given women so much power that the law has very wisely given them little.”) Men may earn most of the money, but it’s women who spend it - there are at least 10 women’s clothing stores for every men’s.

Now even the appearance of male supremacy is vanishing. All over the world female students are outperforming males. In Britain for example girls are increasingly doing better than boys in GCSEs. No one knows why young males are falling behind. Perhaps language acquisition differs in boys. Sex-linked traits might affect learning styles. Maybe there is unconscious gender bias in the classroom. One major factor in Jamaica is undoubtedly a lack of active fathers. But whatever the causes the disparity is real. According to the May 25^th Economist

“Asked to name the most significant problem facing Britain, a senior government minister pauses for a while, and then says, “failing boys”. Crime, unemployment, low productivity, drugs, lone parenthood—all of these can plausibly be linked to the fact that too many boys are emerging from school ill-equipped to cope with life in the modern economy... Some 70% of new jobs created over the next decade will be held by women, according to a 1998 study.”

No nation is experiencing greater female academic domination than Jamaica. From common entrance to spelling bee, girls here outclass boys. At tertiary levels the inequality is alarming - 70% of graduates from UWI are female. And this is already the only country on earth with significantly more illiterate men than women - 19% to 11% according to World Bank figures.

Jamaica is fast becoming the first country in human history where women are not only emotionally more aware than men (as females everywhere tend to be) but more intellectually developed as well. Jamaican business people already consider female employees more honest, hard working and productive. A clear example of this superior discipline and organization was seen in the April gas riots where the largest and most orderly demonstration was the woman’s march to Mandela Park.

Female ascendancy is working its way up from below, and women must inevitably come to dominate managerial positions through sheer educational superiority. To be sure there will be a last stand by the male old guard. Even now women tell stories of crass sexism, chauvinism, and boorishness in the work place intended to discourage them from “trying to wear pants”. But the more educated a company’s work force, the more productive it is. Organizations which promote strictly on merit regardless of sex will flourish. Those that try to keep women “in their place” will fall behind and eventually collapse through inefficiency and lack of expertise.

Yet a female friend argues that most positions of ultimate authority will continue to be held by men. She feels that though there are obvious exceptions like Margaret Thatcher, most women are uncomfortable having to make final decisions and don’t want the buck to stop with them. It may be conditioning she says, but though they often claim otherwise, most women prefer having a man to defer to, both in public and private. She finds this more noticeable in the upper and middle classes, with working class women exhibiting less inhibition.

No one really knows what effects female educational superiority will have on society in general, because this is uncharted territory for humanity. Perhaps there will be a fundamental transformation of gender roles. But it is difficult to imagine four million years of genetic hard wiring being changed in a generation.

What will happen to personal relationships? Women almost always seek mates of an equal or superior educational level. (My friend explains it thus. Women find it relatively easy to manipulate men emotionally and sexually. If a woman also dominates a man intellectually, she considers herself his superior and concludes he is not good enough for her. Studies back her up. The more a woman earns relative to her partner, the greater the risk of a family breaking up, whereas higher male earnings increase the chances of its survival.)

Only 30% of university graduates are men, so 40% of women will be unable to find a comparably educated partner, unless they share a man. Will Jamaica become an almost officially polygamous society, as it is already in some ways, with eligible men having many semi-wives? Women already grumble about a man shortage despite official statistics showing equal numbers of both sexes. What they really mean is that there is a scarcity of men they consider potential mates.

And what about the uneducated men without mates? Will they shoot the educated males out of resentment? Men deprived of potential mates are lonely, frustrated and bitter. A society where women are significantly more educated than men might well be violence plagued. When women are better educated than men males often validate themselves in the only way left, physically. “Yes”, their actions seem to say, “you are more educated but I am still stronger.” This is one possible explanation for the increasing violence against women.

Perhaps as Jamaican women come to dominate the private and public sectors they will restructure society and change its emphases. Maybe revamped educational and legal systems will lead to a change in the behavioural patterns of Jamaican men. Perhaps fathers will become more active in their offsprings’ lives and boys will grow up with strong role models and once again view school in a positive light. All we can do is wait and see and hope. Once they have marched the forces of history are very difficult to recall.