GUYANA joins the world today in celebrating  International Women’s Day and  Minister of Education  Priya Manickchand  says   there is much to celebrate as  Guyanese women have indeed proven time and again that they are up to any task. In an invited comment, the minister who is an attorney-at-law and passionate women’s rights activist,  said she always looks forward to this day when women are specially celebrated as  Guyana is particularly proud of the achievements of its women.
Outlining some of those achievements,  she pointed out that Guyana now has the highest number of women in parliament than ever before, and in fact ranks an impressive 24th in the world for women representation in parliament. She also highlighted that the Deputy Speaker in Guyana’s National Assembly is a woman.    In addition, she said  Cabinet comprises 30 percent women, and  many important and non-traditional offices are held by women.
“For instance, Guyana’s Director General is Elizabeth Harper, internationally renowned for her diplomatic skills; while the country’s Director of Budget is Sonya Roopnauth, an outstanding economist,” she pointed out.
Manickchand  said  further that she particularly wishes to recognise and celebrate the women in Guyana’s education system, noting that the Education Ministry is led by phenomenal Guyanese women,  ably supported by their counterparts.
She drew attention to the fact  that the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary is Delma Nedd and its Deputy Permanent Secretary is Genevieve Blackman, while the Director at the National Centre for Research and Development is Jennifer Cumberbatch and the Deputy Chief Education Officer for administration is Donna Chapman.
Additionally, she noted that the Assistant Chief Education Officers for Secondary and Nursery are Doodmattie Singh and Ingrid Trotman respectively, and seven of 10 Regional Education Officers are women.
The minister further underscored  that the Chief Accountant, Karishma Persaud is not only a woman but a young one at that, and  the Head of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) is a woman, Deborah Thomas.
“Today, I salute our women teachers who amount to more than 85 percent of the teaching profession in Guyana. Every day they, along with their male counterparts, get to determine what Guyana’s tomorrow will look like. These teachers are ably represented by their union whose General Secretary is Coretta Mc Donald, another outstanding Guyanese woman,” she stated.
 Minister Manickchand   further remarked: “I stand in reverence of the mothers and grandmothers, activists and maids, vendors and judges, sisters, workers who make up Guyana’s female population.  I celebrate all these women whose ordinary lives and extraordinary contributions to the world inspire me daily.”
Meanwhile, the minister said she will be spending the day reflecting on the sacrifices made by other women who laid the foundations for this generation and renewing her resolve to do all she can to leave a better, more gender balanced world for the next generation.
The Education Ministry is today hosting a luncheon and mini-entertainment show for women in the education sector.