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The women’s arm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) recently held a successful 16th Triennial Congress at the Diamond Secondary School.
The WPO, like its parent organisation the PPP, and the Progressive Youth Organisation, (PYO), has a rich history of struggle not only for women’s rights but was deeply and integrally involved in the struggle for independence; workers’ rights; free and fair elections; and the restoration of democracy.
Both the WPO and the PYO were the brainchild of the visionary late President Dr Cheddi Jagan who, from his earliest days in the political arena, saw the need for organising and mobilising of people on all fronts in the struggle for social justice and economic development, and this resulted in the formation of the two arms of the party.
The Women’s Progressive and Economic Organisation (WPEO) was transformed into the WPO which saw some brilliant and militant women drawn into the struggle and became real stalwarts, including Winifred Gaskin, Joan Stafford, Jessie Burnham, Philomena Sahoye-Shury, Shirley Edwards, Kowsilla, Christina Ramjattan and a host of others.
And of course Mrs. Janet Jagan was there from the beginning of the formation of the PPP.
The WPO was formed at a time when the anti-colonial struggle led by the PPP was gaining momentum and therefore its contribution in helping to mobilise and organise our women was crucial and pivotal in that struggle.
It was therefore not surprising that the WPO is the largest mass women’s organisation and commands support and membership from every administrative region in Guyana traversing all classes and ethnic groups.
However, while some of the issues which faced the WPO in the past may still be around in different forms and levels, several new challenges and difficulties have arisen in recent years because of the changing nature of society. As such, the organisation has to equip and gear itself to deal with the new challenges.
One of those challenges is the scourge of domestic violence and abuse of women and children in our country.
This issue has gained the attention of the entire country and rightly so, because it has the potential to undermine our social fabric and cause irreparable harm to our society, apart from the physical and emotional harm and suffering it causes to individuals.
On the political front the WPO has mobilised and organised wider sections of women to join in the struggle to preserve democracy which is becoming increasingly under threat by forces opposed to the government.
Therefore President Donald Ramotar was quite correct when he urged WPO members to become involved in the preservation and deepening of democracy and women’s issues.
“The WPO must be an integral part of the fight for democracy in our country. It has to be in every area of life to defend democracy in Guyana and democracy itself will only survive if we work together to preserve the rights of our people,” the President declared.
He added: “Over the years, the WPO has produced great leaders, women who came through the ranks and struggled to take our country forward. You still have the capacity to do this.”
The WPO certainly has the capacity to help propel our country forward as it did so magnificently in the past and from all indications it will continue to play a very significant role not only with respect to women’s issues, but in helping to shape the nation’s future.
The WPO, like its parent organisation the PPP, and the Progressive Youth Organisation, (PYO), has a rich history of struggle not only for women’s rights but was deeply and integrally involved in the struggle for independence; workers’ rights; free and fair elections; and the restoration of democracy.
Both the WPO and the PYO were the brainchild of the visionary late President Dr Cheddi Jagan who, from his earliest days in the political arena, saw the need for organising and mobilising of people on all fronts in the struggle for social justice and economic development, and this resulted in the formation of the two arms of the party.
The Women’s Progressive and Economic Organisation (WPEO) was transformed into the WPO which saw some brilliant and militant women drawn into the struggle and became real stalwarts, including Winifred Gaskin, Joan Stafford, Jessie Burnham, Philomena Sahoye-Shury, Shirley Edwards, Kowsilla, Christina Ramjattan and a host of others.
And of course Mrs. Janet Jagan was there from the beginning of the formation of the PPP.
The WPO was formed at a time when the anti-colonial struggle led by the PPP was gaining momentum and therefore its contribution in helping to mobilise and organise our women was crucial and pivotal in that struggle.
It was therefore not surprising that the WPO is the largest mass women’s organisation and commands support and membership from every administrative region in Guyana traversing all classes and ethnic groups.
However, while some of the issues which faced the WPO in the past may still be around in different forms and levels, several new challenges and difficulties have arisen in recent years because of the changing nature of society. As such, the organisation has to equip and gear itself to deal with the new challenges.
One of those challenges is the scourge of domestic violence and abuse of women and children in our country.
This issue has gained the attention of the entire country and rightly so, because it has the potential to undermine our social fabric and cause irreparable harm to our society, apart from the physical and emotional harm and suffering it causes to individuals.
On the political front the WPO has mobilised and organised wider sections of women to join in the struggle to preserve democracy which is becoming increasingly under threat by forces opposed to the government.
Therefore President Donald Ramotar was quite correct when he urged WPO members to become involved in the preservation and deepening of democracy and women’s issues.
“The WPO must be an integral part of the fight for democracy in our country. It has to be in every area of life to defend democracy in Guyana and democracy itself will only survive if we work together to preserve the rights of our people,” the President declared.
He added: “Over the years, the WPO has produced great leaders, women who came through the ranks and struggled to take our country forward. You still have the capacity to do this.”
The WPO certainly has the capacity to help propel our country forward as it did so magnificently in the past and from all indications it will continue to play a very significant role not only with respect to women’s issues, but in helping to shape the nation’s future.
