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INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is a significant occasion to reflect upon progress made, to formulate policies and programmes to further improve the quality of life of women and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster said in a message to mark the occasion. Substantial contributions by Guyanese women, including the martyr Kowsilla, former President Janet Jagan, Viola Burnham, Thelma Reece, Winifred Gaskin, Olga Byrne, Jane Phillips Gay, Desrey Fox and Sheila Holder, Patricia Benn, Justice Desiree Bernard, Magda Pollard, Philomena Sahoye-Shury, Indranie Chandarpal and Gail Teixeira, must be acknowledged, said the minister.
She said that as a nation, there is much to celebrate and she noted at the highest echelons of decision-making, women are today better represented than ever before, including in the National Assembly. “Female representation in Parliament increased from 18.5% in 1992 to 32% in 2012. The consequential sharp rise in female representation in the National Assembly has resulted in Guyana being ranked 25th out of 189 countries for the highest proportion of women in Parliament, as stated by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (May 2012),” Minister Webster said.
While women are well represented in public life generally, there is room for increased representation on management boards, service commissions, as well as in the labour movement and the business sector. The public service is comprised of a much higher percentage of women than men, with women visibly holding senior technical and administrative positions.
“Today, women hold one-third of the positions in the Cabinet. We have made considerable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, in particular goal three on “promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women”. We have met the target of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and will continue to strive towards parity at the tertiary level”, she added.
It should be noted that the Constitution guarantees women “equal rights and status with men in all spheres of political, economic and social life”. Guyana has a strong and robust legislative and policy framework for the protection of women, including the Constitutional Commission on Women and Gender Equality, which is mandated by Parliament to monitor and protect women’s human rights and to vigilantly guard against discrimination.
Government has improved the health of women locally with increased life expectancy rates, and improved maternal health. Today, women are able to access better health care and an expanded range of services across the country, including specific women-related health-care interventions. The minister said that government has also secured economic independence for a greater number of women, through more accessible training programmes and micro-credit schemes.
“It is evident that the historical socio-economic and political inequalities between women and men are evolving. However, there is still need to continue our efforts to empower our women, especially those who are vulnerable to the social and economic ills of society. This is necessary to advance gender equality” noted the minister.
In this context, the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security will host a symposium in observance of International Women’s Day 2013 under the theme, “THE GENDER AGENDA: GAINING MOMENTUM”.
The views posited at this forum will inform strategies to ensure greater participation of women in economic and social life. Six thematic areas have been identified for greater emphasis during the symposium- social policy; employment opportunities, job creation and poverty; women’s rights – from law to practice; equal pay for equal work, women in leadership; and empowering our women to become entrepreneurs.
It must be recognised that issues which affect women are a national priority as gender equality is not a “women’s” initiative, said Minister Webster. She added that everyone has a role to play and urged men to embrace women’s empowerment, seeing this as an opportunity instead of a threat. She stressed the need for parents to educate boys to respect women, to become upstanding gentlemen and be responsible as they socialise with girls and women in the home, at school, in the work-place, in social settings, communities and the society at large.
“It is these boys and girls who will contribute to the creation of a world in which gender equality is a reality”, she said.
She called on Guyanese to be mindful of how the future is approached, as gains have to be solidified and built upon. Minister Webster further urged all Guyanese to work together to, “ensure the gender agenda continues to gain momentum in our country.” (GINA)
She said that as a nation, there is much to celebrate and she noted at the highest echelons of decision-making, women are today better represented than ever before, including in the National Assembly. “Female representation in Parliament increased from 18.5% in 1992 to 32% in 2012. The consequential sharp rise in female representation in the National Assembly has resulted in Guyana being ranked 25th out of 189 countries for the highest proportion of women in Parliament, as stated by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (May 2012),” Minister Webster said.
While women are well represented in public life generally, there is room for increased representation on management boards, service commissions, as well as in the labour movement and the business sector. The public service is comprised of a much higher percentage of women than men, with women visibly holding senior technical and administrative positions.
“Today, women hold one-third of the positions in the Cabinet. We have made considerable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, in particular goal three on “promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women”. We have met the target of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and will continue to strive towards parity at the tertiary level”, she added.
It should be noted that the Constitution guarantees women “equal rights and status with men in all spheres of political, economic and social life”. Guyana has a strong and robust legislative and policy framework for the protection of women, including the Constitutional Commission on Women and Gender Equality, which is mandated by Parliament to monitor and protect women’s human rights and to vigilantly guard against discrimination.
Government has improved the health of women locally with increased life expectancy rates, and improved maternal health. Today, women are able to access better health care and an expanded range of services across the country, including specific women-related health-care interventions. The minister said that government has also secured economic independence for a greater number of women, through more accessible training programmes and micro-credit schemes.
“It is evident that the historical socio-economic and political inequalities between women and men are evolving. However, there is still need to continue our efforts to empower our women, especially those who are vulnerable to the social and economic ills of society. This is necessary to advance gender equality” noted the minister.
In this context, the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security will host a symposium in observance of International Women’s Day 2013 under the theme, “THE GENDER AGENDA: GAINING MOMENTUM”.
The views posited at this forum will inform strategies to ensure greater participation of women in economic and social life. Six thematic areas have been identified for greater emphasis during the symposium- social policy; employment opportunities, job creation and poverty; women’s rights – from law to practice; equal pay for equal work, women in leadership; and empowering our women to become entrepreneurs.
It must be recognised that issues which affect women are a national priority as gender equality is not a “women’s” initiative, said Minister Webster. She added that everyone has a role to play and urged men to embrace women’s empowerment, seeing this as an opportunity instead of a threat. She stressed the need for parents to educate boys to respect women, to become upstanding gentlemen and be responsible as they socialise with girls and women in the home, at school, in the work-place, in social settings, communities and the society at large.
“It is these boys and girls who will contribute to the creation of a world in which gender equality is a reality”, she said.
She called on Guyanese to be mindful of how the future is approached, as gains have to be solidified and built upon. Minister Webster further urged all Guyanese to work together to, “ensure the gender agenda continues to gain momentum in our country.” (GINA)
