Dear Editor

WEDNESDAY marked an important day for women and society globally. The National Mining Syndicate salutes all women as we celebrate International Women’s Day, under the theme “Be Bold for Change.” We wish to use this opportunity to acknowledge the input of all women in the mining sector in Guyana and our first female Minister in the natural resources industry, Mrs. Simona Broomes. We will continue with our mandate–to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, and to challenge conscious and unconscious biases especially in the work environment.

Through purposeful collaboration The National Mining Syndicate desire to help women advance and unleash their limitless potential. Women’s contribution in mining over the years has been viewed as insignificant, in many forums.
However, today the mining syndicates wishes to change that concept and influence the transformation of society’s views on the contribution of our women.

In mining we face many challenges that affect our families significantly, the direct impact of these challenges rest squarely on the shoulders of the women who keeps the family unit together, while husbands are in the fields trying to reorganise and regroup, to provide for the families. We must commend our women for there effective multi-tasking abilities with much success in this regard and wish to publicly thank them.

Moreover, the world of work is changing, with significant implications for women. Technological advances and globalisation brings unprecedented opportunities for everyone, for which we are aware. However, there is an overwhelming majority of our women who are in the informal economy, subsidising care and domestic work, and concentrating in lower-paid, lower-skilled occupations, with little or no social protection. Taking cognisance of this fact and the existence of such, which in many regard is as a direct impact of the absence or lack of support of the males. We want to influence positive change in this era, and will urge men, the dominant gender in the mining sector, to support women and girls, which by extension captures the family and society.
The National Mining Syndicate will continue to labour in this regard, where we can move from awareness-raising to concrete action.

Regards
Renwick Solomon
The National Mining Syndicate