FOURTEEN female toshaos from across Guyana participated in a one-day leadership workshop aimed at empowering them to better lead their communities.

The workshop, hosted at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, was organised by the Canadian High Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

Speaking to the toshaos, Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee said, “We want to contribute to getting rid of poverty,” and added, “We need to support women like yourselves to participate in all areas of society.”

For her, the landscape of the Indigenous community is changing — as is the rest of the world and more women are coming to the fore of leadership. This year alone, 14 female toshaos were sworn in with five of them coming from Region One.

“While this shows a sign of progress, it shows how much more has to be done. There is still a lot of space for women to get more involved in politics and you serve as role models for future women and men who want to get involved in politics,” Chatterjee said.

Junior Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe said indigenous women are the head of the household because of their roles in nurturing and managing.

“When we take on leadership roles right now as toshaos and so on, we already know what we have to do,” she contended.

Added to the challenges that might confront the women as toshaos, the minister also acknowledged that women face the additional challenge of dealing with the males who may not readily comprehend the demands of leadership.

The toshaos who attended the workshop hail from Santa Cruz, Bumbery Hill, Baramita, Santa Rosa and Red Hill (Region One); Pakuri (Region Four); Kamana, Kurukabaru and Campbelltown (Region Eight); Achiwib (Region Nine); and Great Falls and Muritaro (Region 10).

The Canadian high commissioner said it is her hope that the female leaders will become even stronger leaders in their communities. This training was facilitated by geophysicist and former Chief of the Bear Clan, Glenn Nolan.