…AG traces development of Guyanese women over the years

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, on Sunday emphasised the important role women play in today’s society and also paid specific attention to their rights and related laws enacted in Guyana.

He was at the time addressing a forum at the President’s College, Golden Grove East Coast Demerara. The forum was chaired by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings.

At the forum Williams first emphasised the important role women play in Guyana and farther afield.

“In Guyana, the role of women in society has changed significantly. Many years ago, women’s contributions to society were limited. However, today we have women working in every industry in Guyana, women who are in leadership roles such as in government, the judiciary, medicine, business, STEM and law. Even at my own ministry, most of the senior positions have been filled by women. Women have truly advanced and are no longer condemned to performing traditional roles. For example, over the years, more women have become actively involved in politics and they have been effectively causing social change,” he expressed.

Highlighting that women overcame a series of stereotypes, the AG pointed to the State Paper on Equality for Women that was presented to the National Assembly in January 1976, by Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (LFS Burnham), who explained some of the reasons for discrimination against women.

“Women have been prevented from enjoying the full spectrum of their human rights because of cultural norms, which confined the role of women to that of child-bearer and family caretaker. However, we all know the truth and have witnessed this truth: that women are capable of so much more. This erroneous belief stifled the potential of women and inevitably robbed the world from benefiting much sooner from the strength, ideas and wisdom of women,” AG opined.

The year 1990, he said, was a significant year for women’s rights in Guyana, with the enactment of the Family and Dependent Persons Act, the Married Persons Property (Amendment) Act and the Equal Rights Act.

The legislative reforms which led to the passing of these acts were led by a woman– the Hon Justice Desiree Bernard, the only female High Court judge at the time, who was appointed by the government to head a committee to examine Articles 29 and 30 of the 1980 constitution against existing laws and to see how they could be amended. The Desiree Bernard Committee recommended over 30 amendments to our laws. These reforms made Guyana the forerunner for legislative reform on equality for women in the Caribbean.

Underlining these reforms, the AG told attendees that the effectiveness of any law depends on its implementation and enforceability. Therefore, the entire country he said, must do their part to ensure that our laws are effective and their objectives are realised.

“Guyana and indeed the world have achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence. Almost every day one can open the papers or see on the news that a woman has died or incurred injury as a result domestic violence…”

“…This continues to be a blight on our society and shows that though women have ascended to prominent positions in society, there are still mistreated. We must all recognise that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but it is necessary for the peace, well-being and sustainable development of Guyana. All Guyanese must be given the opportunity to contribute equally to the economic and social development of our country. The government will continue its efforts to transform Guyana to ensure that women are included at every level,” AG said emphatically.