– ahead of move to set up local CWP branch

GUYANA’s female Members of Parliament (MPs) have unanimously supported the move to establish a Steering Committee which will meet once a month to address a number of issues, and more importantly, play a critical role functioning as an avenue for consensus.“It is expected that this committee will nurture the working relationship among female MPs on all sides of the National Assembly, as well as function as an avenue for consensus on important issues,” according to Public Service Minister Dr. Jennifer Westford.

Minister Westford was at the time updating her colleague Members of Parliament (MPs) during Wednesday’s sitting of the House, on the outcome of a special meeting convened by Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Raphael Trotman on Monday.

Westford said, “This committee is expected to run for one year and based on its performance, the establishment of a Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Guyana Branch, will be determined.

She said it was also agreed that these issues will not be limited to those affecting women and children, but will also address matters within the legislative, political, economic and technological spheres, among others.

According to her, each political party represented in the National Assembly will be required to identify members to participate in the activities of the Steering Committee.

“Each political party is expected to identify a member to function as a coordinator, who will be tasked with identifying issues for the committee to focus on,” Dr Westford said.

FIRST INITIATIVE
On Wednesday night, as its first initiative, the female MPs Steering Committee issued a joint statement, joining the rest of the world in denouncing the kidnapping of the 300 Nigerian schoolgirls by terrorist organisation, Boko Haram.
“As Guyanese women Members of Parliament, we wish to express our grave concern over the abduction of approximately 300 teenage girls who were abducted from their school on April 15,” Dr Westford stated.
She pointed out that the committee joins with the government, civil society bodies, and regional and international bodies in reiterating their strong condemnation of all acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity.
“Not only is it (the kidnapping) an abhorrent form of terrorism, but it is a gross violation of the basic human right to education and to the freedom of religion,” Minister Westford said.
The Committee, she said, will lend its support to the efforts being made by the Government of Nigeria and the international community to rescue the girls and expressed the hope for their personal security and for their safe return to their families.
The CWP was founded by women delegates at the 1989 plenary conference so women at future conferences could discuss ways to increase female representation in Parliament and work towards the mainstreaming of gender considerations in all CPA activities and programmes. In 2004, the group was formally recognised in the CPA Constitution and its elected chairperson added to the CPA Executive Committee.