DESPITE initially targeting 120 booths, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MoHSSS) had no other choice but to increase the number due to the overwhelming response at its “We Lift 2” one -day women business exhibition which was held on Saturday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Over 150 businesses participated in the event which was held in observance of International Women’s Day (IWD), which will be celebrated across the world on March 8. This year, IWD is being celebrated under the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” with the trending hashtag #BreakingtheBias.

Most of the booths were managed by young women, many under 30 years old, or even in their teens as was the case with 14-year-old artist Jhanvi Singh, who was on site selling her paintings.

During an interview with the Sunday Chronicle, Singh shared that she took up painting some two years ago due to being home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her stunning paintings have caught so much attention that she eventually turned it into a business. She decided to be part of ‘We Lift 2’ to market her products even more.

Her paintings on display included several eye catching abstract pieces created using the Dutch pour method, as well as animal paintings and a few embroidery pieces.

“The big paintings are blue and white which I used the sea and sky as my inspiration. I’m really into art called the Dutch pour, where you use liquid paints and a blow dryer to create the pieces,” she shared.

Located right next to Singh was a booth by “Pinch Arts” which is owned by artist, 40-year-old Christina Parson, who also had some of her own pieces on display. Her business also retails in quality art supplies, conducts art classes and ‘sip and paint’ sessions.

Excited to market their business, expand their client base and sell as much products as they could, the female entrepreneurs and proprietors were creative in decorating their respective booths and even offer support to each other as they strived to achieve their goals.

Some of the businesses were able to sell out their products while others were impressed with the attention and exposure they were able to garner from the event.

Twenty-two-year old Akeela Lovell, owner of “Akeela’s Bakes”, which retails pastry items, could not stop gushing after she was one of the first booths of the day to sell all of her products. Thanks to the expo, she has now widened her customer base.

“The task to prepare was very tiring but the accomplishment feels amazing. I love being a part of the expo. I met new customers who enjoyed my stuff so much they just came back for more and that actually led to me becoming sold out. So I’m so elated that I got the opportunity to come,” she shared.

Akeela launched business in 2019 when she was trying to raise money for her wedding and to purchase her home and after it proved to be a success, she decided to keep at it.

“It just flourished so I continued it. I do donuts, chicken puffs, all of your savory and sweet items, I do them. I even try to invent some of my own things like cheesecake donuts or strawberry Oreos and those have really been a hit in Guyana,” she shared.

Several agencies that offer support services were also be present at the event including the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD), and the Ministry of Labour (MoL) Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), which assists persons in finding a job.

Starting off at 14:00 hours, the event commenced with an opening ceremony that featured a fashion show displaying 40 pieces by local female designers, and a display of “women breaking barriers,” which included a poetry performance by Guyana Talent Search Competition winner Quanisha Patterson, and a rap piece by young Parvanie Chaitram, who goes by the stage name ‘Rihanna’.

A number of leading young ladies involved in sports in Guyana, including national swimmer Akela Persaud, golfer and dentist, Dr. Joaan Deo and national hockey player, Gabriella Xavier did presentations on how they have been “breaking the bias” in sports. There was also a display of several women involved in unconventional careers that are dominated by men.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, in her feature address, called for all to be a part of the fight for gender equality in order to accelerate the pace and amplify the voices in the fight.
“We have to make sure that we are very conscious of what needs to happen in all of our spaces across the world so that one day gender equality will not be a dream, gender equality will be reality,” Dr. Persaud charged.

She added: “There must come a day when we have no need for gender quotas. When we don’t attach a tag line to every achievement for a woman. There must come a day when we let women know it’s not because you are a woman, it is because of who you are on your own merit and there must come a day when women understand that everything that they conceive is possible simply because they believe in themselves and they are confident.”

The event was also attended by several Cabinet members including Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton; Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues and Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.

Several diplomats were also out at the event including US Ambassador, Sarah Ann-Lynch; British High Commissioner, Jane Miller; Canadian High Commissioner, Mark Berman; EU Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa.