SINCE being elected to office in May 2015, President David Granger’s administration has made great strides towards the goal of gender equality. Inequality between men and women is of global concern and is known to be an enormous impediment to growth, community development, social advancement, and personal progress.

President Granger’s commitment to national equality necessarily includes his determination to achieve gender parity and equity. To date, the coalition administration by continuously working on the problem, has made commendable progress.

One-third of ministerial positions in the coalition’s Cabinet are held by women. In May 2017, on the 51st year of Guyana’s independence, the Ministry of the Presidency announced that 31 of 69 National Awardees would be women. The highest honour awarded that year, The Order of Roraima, was conferred on Madam Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards.

Ms. Agnes Dalrymple, former Chief Sea & River Defence officer and Head of Department at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, expressed her views; she said, “When I left school back in the 1970s, my mom wanted me to teach. Instead, I did a diploma in architecture. By the time I retired, I was an engineer and head of department at the ministry.” She added, “There is no reason to think you can’t do something because it’s ‘a man’s job.’”
On August 19, 2018, Ms. Volda Lawrence and Ms. Annette Ferguson were elected to top positions of leadership in the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), one of Guyana’s largest political parties. The foregoing examples underscore how far we have come as a society towards the goal of gender equality through the empowerment of women.

Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally, iterated the administration’s position. During the ministry’s ‘I Am Woman’ celebration on International Women’s Day 2018, the minister said, “Promoting gender equality and empowerment of women in all spheres of life remains a national priority of the Government of Guyana, and this global event provides us with the opportunity to assess the progress made in keeping with national priorities. It allows us to examine the challenges and face and seek measures in which we can overcome these challenges to achieve gender parity.”

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines gender equality as, “equality between men and women; it entails the concept that all human beings, both men and women, are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by stereotypes [and] rigid gender roles and prejudices. Gender equality means that the different behaviour, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured equally . . . Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs.”

Gender equality is a matter of such great significance that it is the fifth of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Those SDGs were adopted on September 25, 2015, by the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly under the 2030 Development Agenda, titled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

In President David Granger’s publication ‘Women in Guyana,’ he had written, “Unfortunately, historically, women have, and continue to be, discriminated against. In some societies, women still are not allowed to vote, drive a car, or even go outdoors alone.” The President noted some local progress, he wrote “Guyana has progressed a far way from such practices . . . in the last century, the status of women [in Guyana] has improved from blatant discrimination during the colonial era, to agitation during the struggle for independence, to representation in the post-independence period, to a time of intense legislation. And, we must now move towards full realisation of gender equality.”

With a path to the goal in mind, the president said, “The administration recognises that gender equality cannot be realised by only the passage of legislation; history proves this to be true. Instead, there must be a change of mindset. The gap between political and economic opportunities between men and women must be narrowed and eventually eliminated.

Towards that end, His Excellency has articulated a five-point national policy initiative: equality of women, eradication of poverty, equal employment opportunities, elimination of domestic violence, and equal access to education. In elaborating on the rationale for the five-point plan, President Granger elaborated, he said that, “Women are more likely than men to be the heads of destitute households. Therefore, government will consider and implement measures to lift families out of poverty. Encouragement of entrepreneurship by women, access to micro-credit, and concessionary business financing are among the measures being undertaken.”

He added, “Although many women have skills and qualifications, they simply cannot find jobs.” His Excellency noted that, “too many women are the victims of abuse.” And he promised that, “all girls must have access to primary and secondary schools. The gap between boys and girls regarding access to education must be closed.”

First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger is fully involved; she has used her office to target the most vulnerable sectors of the Guyanese society, including adolescents and women. She has aligned herself with local and international organisations that prioritise women’s rights. The First Lady is the patron of Women Across Differences (WAD) and the Guyana Girl Guides Association. She is a recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award from Celebrating Women International.

Additionally, the First Lady in partnership with the Ministry of Social Protection and Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated, conducts Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshops. Those workshops target women who want to get into business, in all of Guyana’s regions.

While modestly acknowledging the work done, and progress made towards equality for women by his own administration. The president has emphasised that, “Guyanese must change their attitudes in order to move the process further and faster. His Excellency said that we must dismantle impediments and remove barriers to gender equality by eradicating geographic, occupational, political and racial differences among ourselves.” Guyanese should heed those words and let progress continue.