THE Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese, especially our women on the occasion of the 111th Anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD). This celebration was first held in Guyana in 1957 under the auspices of then Premier Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his wife Ms. Janet Jagan, on the lawns of their official residence, the Red House.

This has become a tradition not only for us in the WPO, but amongst all Guyanese. This year’s theme of the United Nations “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World” takes cognisance of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which presumes that by 2030 women will be equal partners in leadership and the goal of 50/50 will become a reality.

While governments across the globe have committed themselves to the SDG Goals, there is still much to be done to ensure that these goals are met. Gender equality will only become a reality when society is prepared to confront patriarchal views that continue to keep women in subservient positions. Unfortunately, women’s rights always go to the back burner in times of crisis in the world. We recall the first and second world wars when it was impossible to talk about equality. In this COVID-19 environment, quite a lot of challenges have emerged for women, their families, and their way of life. In a matter of nine years, we have to make 50/50 a reality and the big question is whether there will be global commitment to this process.

Women have recognised that education is critical for their growth and personal development and it is not by accident that they are excelling in all areas of endeavour. More than 60% of those graduating from universities are women and they are now turning their attention to areas that were dominated by their male counterparts. There are more women today in fields of sports, medicine, law, management, finance, and engineering. This is a positive development, but the contradiction is going to be when decisions have to be made as to who will get the job. Women in Guyana and across the globe have done well at educating and empowering themselves. They have done exceedingly well at balancing work, while raising their children and managing their homes.

This is not an easy task. The need for shared responsibility and adequate day care and childcare is important and it is something which society and governments have to consider if they are serious about gender equality. Women in Guyana have a lot to celebrate. From the time of Universal Adult Suffrage in 1953 to present, women have advanced in a variety of ways. Women have been promoted to important positions in society and this trend continues to grow.

There are more than 25 pieces of progressive legislation and measures to protect women. We are indeed lucky that the successive governments of Guyana have understood the value of women in political life, and they have encouraged their participation at different levels. Women in Guyana broke the glass ceiling as early as 1953 when we had three women elected to the Legislative Council, to constitutional changes that require 1/3 of women on electoral lists.

The list of achievements by women is commendable, but greater work is needed to remove the obstacles that are hindering their development. Domestic and sexual violence have become great concerns that need to be addressed urgently.

We welcome key initiatives by the government that will help to address this pressing issue, including the establishment of a toll-free hotline to allow victims of domestic violence to report incidents and request assistance; supported by the $1 billion Spotlight Initiative, which will see government working along with stakeholders to curb gender-based violence and the proposed establishment of the court superintendent department with a cadre of lawyers to lead prosecutions in each regional division for cases of domestic violence and the Survivors Advocates Programme. In this COVID-19 environment, there are many problems facing all segments of our society. Children are unable to go to school, parents cannot work the way they used to, and many have lost their jobs and sources of incomes.

These problems have only served to exacerbate the challenges faced by women. We commend the government for the 2021 Budget, which includes key measures such as: the reversal of various tax measures which will help to offer relief during this COVID-19 pandemic; various incentives that will help the economy to grow; and social safety net measures which will provide some relief to those who are living in difficult situations.

We commend the President and his Cabinet for their pro-people budget and we know that they will continue to work hard to make Guyana a better place. We thank all Guyanese, including the dedicated and committed women, who worked hard to ensure that our democracy was not derailed.

We thank these women for their sacrifices and for putting country first. At this time, we recall our former President of Guyana and founder of the WPO and PPP, Cde Janet Jagan as we recently observed her 100th birth anniversary. We also wish to thank our stalwarts like Philomena Sahoye-Shury, Shirley Edwards, Patricia Benn and the late Sabra Bashir and Jameran Mohamed for their contributions to the WPO. We thank the membership of the WPO in all 10 regions of Guyana for their steadfastness and their continued support and commitment. Happy International Women’s Day.

Yours sincerely,
Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO)