President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Mr. Patrick Yarde has paid tribute on behalf of the General and Executive Councils of the Union to our nation’s women and those worldwide as we celebrate International Women’s Day today. “I particularly would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all women who are pivotal to the endurance of international movements that preserve justice and equality,” Yarde said in a message.

He said it is fitting that this year’s international theme is, “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”, which highlights the imbalance of opportunities that women endure, but implies that times have called for explicit captioning to publicize challenges facing women that would otherwise be ignored without outspoken opposition.

“Equality implies partnership not replacement. In the quest for equality many women only aspire to participate meaningfully and encouragingly in the advancement of society. If one considers a few of the many roles that our nation’s women play including mother, caregiver, homemaker, breadwinner, citizen, public servant, health care provider, and teacher, then it is evident that women are essential to the development of Guyana,” he posited.

The GPSU President also noted that worldwide and here in Guyana, the plight of women underlies larger issues of crime, injustice, domestic violence and poverty. Many fail to realize that several, if not the majority of victims, are female who oftentimes suffer the most because of their gender aside from other barriers they face such as race, religion or political views.

“Though we recognize and celebrate the progress that many women have made in the past century towards improving their quality of life, we do so fully aware that many more barriers need to be overcome,” Yarde stated .