The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has taken note of the incident involving the Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsarran and Ms. Sherlina Nageer on Monday, April 21, 2015, outside the Whim Magistrate’s Court which has gained a tremendous amount of media attention.

This is indeed an unfortunate incident which is clearly blown out of proportion by the opposition media. especially at this election season when issues perceived to hurt the PPP and the PPP/C administration is being milked by opposition elements in order to provide political capital to those opposed to the ruling PPP/C.

The PPP wishes to state in no uncertain terms that it has the greatest respect for the women of Guyana and has always championed the cause of women in Guyana ever since its formation some 65 years ago.

Indeed it was Mrs. Janet Jagan who was instrumental in the formation of the first women’s organisation in Guyana, the Womens Progressive and Economic Organisation (WPEO)  and who continued to represent and defend the cause of women right up to her dying moments. Indeed, many of the benefits now enjoyed by women can be credited to her when she served as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing.

It is a lasting shame that Mrs. Jagan, despite her sterling contribution to the cause of women, was verbally abused and humiliated by the PNC and other opposition elements during and after the swearing-in ceremony as the first elected woman Head of State in the 1997 elections.

What was even more unfortunate was the deafening silence by the opposition media and other so-called human rights activists despite the fact that a woman in Guyana had created history by becoming the first woman President in Guyana in certified free and fair elections.

This double standard employed by those who claim to represent the concerns of women has not escaped the notice of the PPP.

Be that as it may, the response by Minister Ramsarran to what he thought to be an act of provocation appeared unwarranted and cannot be condoned. He said things that ought not to have been said by anyone, particularly by a government minister.
Minister Ramsarran has no doubt recognised his indiscretion and has offered an apology. He has clearly said things that he ought not to have said to anyone, in particular a woman.

Given our present political context, it is quite obvious that the political opposition will take advantage of that unfortunate situation to score cheap political points. Indeed, the strident position taken by the opposition media is already noticeable, in particular the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News, both of which have gone overboard in their attacks against the PPP.

The PPP cannot and will not condone any form of attack or disrespect towards women. The Party has nothing but the highest regard for our women. This respect and concern is manifested in manifold ways, including the several measures put in place by the PPP/C administration to empower women by way of access to academic, technical and vocational education, access to micro-credit, assistance to single parent mothers, protection and homes for battered women and legislative action to protect women against domestic violence.

Indeed, the PPP is the only party that has fielded a full and complete list of women as required by the Constitution for the upcoming elections, as opposed to the APNU-AFC coalition whose list had to be re-submitted after it was found to be deficient by GECOM in terms of women representation.

The PPP has a proud record when it comes to promoting and defending the rights of women and no amount of opposition attacks can negate this fact. In this regard, the PPP places high premium on the contribution of women to national development and pledges to continue to treat women’s issues as a top national priority.