-in celebration of International Women’s Day
IN honour of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security partnered with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation in a Health Walk yesterday morning beginning at 07:00 hrs from Parliament Buildings and culminating at the Umana Yana. First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and Venezuelan Ambassador, Dario Morandy joined other participants, both males and females, from the private and public sectors and Non Governmental Organisations in the activity in a show of solidarity of economic, political and social achievements of women over the 100 years.
The First Lady termed this an “intolerable situation” and appealed for women to reach out and play a guardian role in helping to remove others from such situations and, to bring an end to abuse of women on the whole. “Please do not stand around and see the signs of domestic, physical and emotional abuse and turn a blind eye,” the First Lady beseeched.
She called for each woman to be her sister’s keeper, as well as for those being abused to seek the aid of loved ones and the relevant agencies in severing the connections of such destructive relationships. “There is a better and fair life out there than the one you are enduring,” First Lady Ramotar noted.

Minister Webster called for women to continue the struggle for equality and women’s rights. “It is important we understand that we all have a role to play in Guyana… we have struggled for many years with women’s rights and, we must continue to advocate to improve our society in which we live.”
Minister Webster also echoed the First Lady’s call for women to work together to eradicate the many social ills being manifested and inflicted on women. She asked that each woman form a partnership with the ministry to ensure that those who experience such problems recognize that there is a human face out there willing and ready to offer support.
Speaking to the issue of domestic violence, Minister Webster said she is aware that many women are afraid to speak out about their situations, and encouraged that others must work together to give confidence to those being abused and to help them understand that they have access to justice.

“As women, I think that our walk this morning shows that we have solidarity… we have to take charge of our society, we have to ensure that we do not allow our circumstances to affect us from doing what we have to do,” Minister Webster urged.
Government will provide continuous support to women who experience these social ills, she promised.
The Health Walk is part of the Human Services Ministry’s activities to celebrate International Women’s Day’s. International Women’s Day, an annual observance on March 8 is in acknowledgement, respect and appreciation of women’s contributions and achievements.
‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’ is the 2012 theme of International Women’s Day.