– Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira maintains that more still to be donee
ADVOCATE for women’s rights and a leading political force, Presidential Advisor, Ms. Gail Teixeira, says there has been laudable progress made in the last 100 years, but the persisting challenges surround what she calls a cultural lag – a cycle in which many Guyanese women remain entrenched.
“The view that women are not equal to men comes from traditions, belief, old practices and in a large way, religion…,” she said.

The rights advocate, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, pointed out that advances by women that are contrary to traditions and practices of the old days are often times seen as a threat.
“It is definitely a cultural lag,” she stressed.
Teixeira explained that recognition of women’s rights is a must by both men and women who encourage settings of male dominance; women who have been acculturated into expectation and acceptance of bondage situation of existence, through the determinants of their social and religious communities.
She added that the lack of confidence and esteem in one’s self is a major cause for many young women getting involved in relationships that are dangerous and put them at risk – a reality that cuts across the divides of class and education.

Back to Basics

Teixeira pointed out that in moving forward, advocates must look back and recognise that with all the work done there is something missing, especially in the education of both young girls and boys.
“In recent times I have had to look at young women and realise that they are not able to stand up…when we were young we had a political philosophy that said we were women and we had rights and there was a women’s movement to support us. Today I think we have to go back and work with young women and men,” she said.
According to her, empowering young girls and boys with knowledge from a young age will engender a sense of one’s rights as an individual and see the next generation taking the fight for equality and justice to the next level.
“We have come a long way, but our youth still need to enjoy equality in its true sense,” she said.
Teixeira observed that the contributions of women are too often undervalued because they are not seen as equals in society.
“We have come a long way as a country and as a people. We still have many challenges as women, but Guyana has made strides in terms of legal reform…we have to keep encouraging our young men and women to recognise the concept of equality that we are promoting,” Teixeira said.