MINISTER within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, has called on women and girls to take up leadership positions.

The minister made those remarks during the opening of the debates of the National Assembly of Girls which was hosted by the Parliament of Guyana as part of the International Women’s Day celebration.

During her remarks, Rodrigues said that, globally, women and girls have limited access to technology. Even as women make up more than half of the population and are the group most impacted by policies and programmes, she added women and girls are frequently excluded from decision-making processes.

Against this backdrop, she highlighted that, in the past few years, the government has made significant strides in attaining gender parity in Guyana, as housing, education, and training, among other things, are now more accessible to women and girls.

With that, it can be noted that the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum ranked Guyana 35th out of 146 countries on gender parity, which is 18 levels higher than the country’s 53rd position in 2021.

While there is still much to be done in order to attain equality, Rodrigues went on to add that women must pursue financial independence and higher education in order to expedite their journey to the top.

She then noted that women who are able to climb the scale must assist others who are seeking elevation.