Written by WOMEN’S AFFAIRS BUREAU, Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security
IN 1995, the United Nations organised a World Conference of Women, which was attended by numerous Heads of Government and Women’s Organisations from 187 countries. Guyana was represented by an 11 member delegation headed by a Minister of the Government. This Beijing ’95 conference, as it has been designated, was held 20 years after the first of three World Conferences of Women were held with only moderate achievement in terms of the status of women in society.

One of the main pillars of this Fourth World Conference was to secure the commitment of all Governments represented at this historic Conference to implement measures to ensure the removal of all social, political and economic barriers to the involvement of women at all levels of national development and to accelerate their progress, recognising that the movement for gender equality and non-discrimination, the world over, has been the defining development of our time.

Guyana committed itself to uphold the agreed conclusions on the critical areas of concern emanating from the Conference and articulated in the ‘Beijing Platform for action’, which clearly advocates the acceleration of more women in the decision making positions at the highest levels.

Granted Geetanjali Singh’s issue is not a gender issue per se, let us view it in the “spirit” of the Beijing Platform for Action and Guyana’s commitment to increasing the participation of women in national development. Here is an eminently well qualified woman, one of a small group of women in Guyana holding this qualification, and who is occupying the very senior position of Director of Audit. Her ability is not in question. Her challenge is that her husband is the Minister of Finance. A few questions arising are: Is there a Public Service Rule governing this situation which has been breached? Was this situation recognised when her husband was appointed Minister? In terms of development planning, was this situation foreseen? In such a critical area of operation are there checks and balances or appropriate strategies to avoid the fears that are being insinuated?

Given the concerns being expressed, it is perhaps time that Guyana, recognising its limited human resources in this specialised field, and given the changing times in which we live, as well as the technological developments available to us, seeks to review its thinking on this matter, rather than just concentrate on removing a very competent and well qualified woman from a position in which she is contributing to national development.

The Women’s Affairs Bureau strongly supports the right of every woman to work especially in areas in which she is qualified or where she possesses the required competence. While WAB does not wish to pronounce on any perceived conflict to interest with Ms. Geetanjali Singh’s position as Audit Director, it urges public support for women across Guyana to enjoy the basic freedom to pursue the vocation of their choice and for which they are eminently qualified.