By Shauna Jemmott

MINISTER of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, has urged religious women to be dynamic in leadership, and to join hands with Government to reach out and reduce the social ills that plague the Guyanese society.The Minister was delivering an address to women at the Girls of Excellence and Moral Standards (G.E.M.S.) Conference staged by the Caribbean Union and Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Women’s Ministries Department last Saturday at the Sophia Exhibition Complex in Georgetown.

The conference was attended by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; Directors of local and Caribbean Unions of Seventh Day Adventist churches, pastors, members of the Women’s Ministries and the Young Women’s Ministries, among other participants.

“We need those who can minister to the needs of our sisters and brothers, for you and I know that many in our society are thirsting for guidance, for a sympathetic ear, for someone with whom we can connect and share our anxieties, doubts and fears…. Make good your gorgeous creation in God’s image and reach out as the Lord did to all, irrespective of race, creed or age,” Minister Lawrence urged the women.

The minister said the breakdown of family values results in the prevalence of suicide, domestic violence, incest, trafficking in persons, and other social ills; and she has urged the church to analyze the reasons for the disconnection. She said we are responsible for being our brothers’ keeper, and should show love if there were to be the embodiment of the conference’s theme, ‘Gorgeous in God’s image’.

“We are all aware of the alarming numbers of our young people who, for some reason or the other, decide to snuff out the treasured life that God has given them. We cannot close our eyes, my brothers and sisters, to these issues and pretend they do not concern us. If we are to be the embodiment of this apt theme, “Gorgeous in God’s image”, then it’s our responsibility not only to look out for each other, but to love our neighbour as God loves us. There are many of our youth, our young women and men who are anxious, who are hurting yearning for that warm smile, that unique touch of affection, words of solace and comfort demonstrating that you care.”

She said that in helping those people, the church could play a crucial role in service to the community, by spreading the Word of God and helping to ease pain and despair, praying with others, and teaching them the significance and the rewards that can accrue if they abide by God’s words.

Minister Lawrence said women must pursue personal development to be proactive, and those not academically inclined should tap into the power within, use their gifted hands, and explore entrepreneurial possibilities to find their calling.

“We are in the ever-developing era of globalization, which calls for the interventions of both genders… Respond to the present day demands and develop themselves personally so that (they) can make a meaningful contribution to the sustainability of (their) families and the society as a whole.”

The minister told the women their potential for greatness lies within, and they should be eager to affirm the purpose for which they had been created through personal development and social refinement, and adhering to the call of God.

“He has given each of us talents, which we need to develop not only for our personal worth and self-esteem, but for others to emulate so that we can nurture God’s vineyard and execute the tasks He has assigned us,” the minister said.

Lawrence pointed out that women sometimes tarnish their character by their attitudes and appearance, and she urged the women to remain gorgeous in their climb to upward mobility and acceptance in social milieus, and not to compromise themselves just for material and social gains.

“I am referring to those who compromise their womanhood to achieve material and social gains. There is no harm in beautifying ourselves, in acquiring the social graces (etiquette, social mannerisms and good speech), but the image is marred in the way we dress and behave sometimes. There is no need for us to lower our standards and dress and behave inappropriately, without decorum. We can achieve a greater effect with attire and accessories that are becoming; and when coupled with God’s innate beauty, we can stand tall and proud and beam with joy and radiance, happy in the knowledge that we mirror the image God expects of us. Our appearance will denote who we are and the standards to which we bear witness,” Minister Lawrence said.

She said the objectives of the conference complemented the mandate of the Ministry of Social Protection, which has been encouraging more women to assume leadership roles and decision-making positions for which they are capable.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be marginalized, we need to take up the mantle and act as motivators, so that we fulfil that divine purpose,” she challenged.