By Svetlana Marshall
GUYANA has made tremendous strides in its quest to push the development of women and girls, but the task is far from over, and the benefits of women’s empowerment cannot be understated, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence said yesterday at the Regional Women’s Affairs Committee (RWAC) Annual General Meeting (AGM).Guyanese women, Minister Lawrence said, now have greater access to education, and have been playing critical roles in the decision-making process at all levels.

“The world has evolved and still is evolving as more and more women impact on the international stage or on the national arena. Women are now considered visionaries who manage empires, run corporations and countries, lead state institutions, engineer the future, make discoveries in the field of health and make political representation on behalf of their people. What is even more significant is that some women do it while taking care of a family,” she pointed out.

But while the “glass ceiling has been shattered” by those who fought for women’s empowerment, the Social Protection Minister said there are still many challenges facing women.

“We still have to work diligently, particularly in our remote and rural communities, to encourage our women to emerge from the shadows and to be proactive in order to break the shackles of poverty,” Minister Lawrence said.
The issue of poverty, she said, is coupled with other social issues that must be addressed. “There is still need for equal pay for equal work, the elimination of gender-based violence, and the achievement of basic rights, such as choice, education and healthcare for many women and girls. Male domination and prejudice still exist and threaten to stifle the efforts of women to develop themselves, owing to economic dependence, culture and other inhibitors,” she explained.
CHANGE AGENTS
The benefits of women’s empowerment cannot be understated, she said, noting that such empowerment should be viewed as a mechanism for growth and the diversification of the economy. “I do believe that women are powerful change agents, who cannot only help us in Guyana to achieve the good life for all, but articulate a clear direction for Guyana’s development.”

As such, she urged the members of the RWAC to foster growth within their communities with special emphasis on women and girls. “We must intensify our education programmes, organize capacity-building workshops, promote entrepreneurial ventures, expand our outreach programmes, disseminating information and raising awareness of the issues that threaten to impede the development of women,” Minister Lawrence urged.

While the Social Protection Ministry is encouraged by the provisions made under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the Convention of Belem do Para, it is acknowledged that enforcement and implementation are often lacking. What is needed, the Minister said, are more stringent measures against predators and perpetrators.

On this note, Minister Lawrence recommitted herself to work harder to improve the level of social protection the state offers Guyanese.

“So, I urge you to do the same within your communities; we need to strengthen our partnership to ensure our religious entities, the non-government sector, civil society and corporate Guyana take this commitment seriously and work towards the enhancing of our women,” she implored the women and men present.
GENDER EQUALITY
Representatives of the Gender Affairs Bureau, Diego Alphonso and Hymawattie Lagan, and Region Four Regional Chairperson Genevieve Allen were among the speakers who championed the cause for Guyanese to embrace gender equality. They said while women and girls are affected by a number of social ills such as abuse, the men and boys must not be neglected as they too need attention, and in some cases counseling.

The RWAC AGM, which will continue today at the Regency Hotel, is being held under the theme “Enhancing the development of women and embracing gender equality”.

It serves to provide technical guidance for the preparation of programmes and activities at the level of the regional committees, covering a number of areas including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Trafficking-in-Person (TIP), the Decent Work Programme, Entrepreneurship and Gender-Based Violence.