The Administration, through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, has once again embarked on another initiative to assist indigenous people. Women’s groups within these communities will soon receive training in conflict resolution and negotiation skills which will go a far way in helping the country’s native population deal with conflicts.

Training is expected to be carried out by the Rural Women’s Network (RWN), through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, which represented Guyana at the recently concluded three-day workshop aimed at the development of conflict resolution and negotiation skills for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). The participants were trained to deal with water and work environment conflicts.

The RWN teaches women how to market their produce, and continues to search for markets. It disseminates acquired knowledge to women throughout the Amerindian and hinterland communities, as well as other women’s groups within the network.

The RWN programme was instituted by Government in 1998 to train rural and other women on how to access credit so that they could become a part of the economy and be involved in sustainable development. The RWN oversees 60 women’s group countrywide.

The network secures food items as well as clothing and machinery from other sources which go towards supporting women economically. 

The Group receives support funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA). These efforts are all aimed at improving the lives of rural and Amerindian women and promoting sustainable development.