THE Women and Gender Equality Commission, in commemoration of International Year of People of African Descent, Saturday awarded 52 outstanding women of African heritage at a ceremony at the National Cultural Centre. The awardees were honoured for their contributions to their respective communities and to Guyana as a whole.

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jennifer Webster, at the ceremony, mentioned that before Guyana gained independence, women worked on plantations and were subjected to horrendous conditions. Now, the society can look back upon the struggles and sacrifices made by women and enjoy a better quality of life.
“Women play an important role in everyone’s life, whether it is within the family or professional life. They provide strong leadership and guidance through the quest to serve Guyana. Today is a day that all women, not only those of African descent, should be proud of their achievements”, she said.

Minister Webster noted, “It is noteworthy that today, in Guyana, a number of our women hold many decision- making positions, both at the executive and administrative levels of government, in the Judiciary and in the Public Service. Let us applaud the actions of those great women who, by virtue of their acts of heroism, should be known and publicly recognized by all Guyanese for their contributions. Their resilience, perseverance and determination alongside their male counterparts have created a free society, a society that has sustained social, economic and political, religious and cultural dimensions. This is an extraordinary achievement and one which has pioneered the building of our nation”.
She also commended the Women and Gender Equality Commission for undertaking such an initiative in promoting the empowerment of women’s rights, women’s needs, interests and concerns in the wider spectrum of economic and social development in Guyana.

Some of the honorees are Dr. Holly Alexander, Beverly Braitwaithe Chan, Cynthia Massey Thomas, Glenyss James, Sheran Harper, Yvonne Fox, Bernice Walcott, Beverly Harper, Blanche Duke, Catherine Archer, Donna Chapman, Florine Dalgetty, Jenny Daly, Roylance Patricia David, Stephanie Felicia Bowry, Ann Elizabeth Green, Daphne Rogers, Sandra Jones, Fay Clark, Pat Francis, Patricia Grey, Shirley Eleanor Jordon, Joyce Sinclair, Claudia Argyle, Vivienne Mitchell, Alika Morgan, Joy Marcus, Desiree Pearson, Rachelyn Profit, Valerie Sharpe, Beatrice Naughton, Urma Glenn, Cicely Ashby, Marjorie Wong, Claudia Theresa Heywood, Mary Jones, Maureen Massiah, Cheryl Klass, Meighan Duke, Jennifer Cumberbatch and Genevieve Whyte Nedd. (GINA)