On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2020 Today, Guyana joins the wider world in observance of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020. This year, I am very pleased to be celebrating this IWD under the appropriate theme, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.” This theme is aligned with the United Nations’ Women’s new multigenerational campaign, ‘Generation Equality,’ which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a global commitment to achieving equality, development and peace for women worldwide. It was adopted in September 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women. As a country, Guyana has come a far way in its fights towards achieving gender parity.

I believe that we have a sound quota of female politicians leading the way for the advancement of women from all walks of life. At the level of the Coalition Government, we recognize the fact that the development of our women and girls is critical to overall human sustainability. This is why we remain committed in our quest to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number five which specifically examines gender equality and the empowerment of girls. I use this opportunity to salute the contributions of all women, particularly Guyanese women at home and abroad. Their efforts continue to make the world a better, more peaceful place. Happy International Women’s Day to each of you!