THE two-day WE LIFT 3 event, hosted by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS), commenced on Saturday and aims to provide exposure and networking opportunities to over 200 women-owned businesses in Guyana.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, in her address at the opening ceremony of the event, which is being held in the parking lot of MovieTowne, expressed hope that the initiative will continue to be a platform for women across Guyana to network.

The business expo showcased different areas of business such as art, jewelry, food, peppers, seasoning, and more. The ministry’s services are also available on site, such as registering for the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN).

Dr. Persaud said her ministry partnered with Qualfon to provide jobs for women and they can either register at the site or through the ministry.

“We are looking comprehensively at how we can create a level playing field for women from the point of education, training, to the actual point of being a very independent person who can head her business,” Minister Persaud said.

In addition, she also launched the Human Services Quarterly, a newsletter that gives information on what the ministry is doing, how they do it, and more.

Also speaking at the event was Mignon Bowen-Phillips, the wife of Guyana’s Prime Minister, who recognised that such events are essential for women’s empowerment.

“Here the participants are afforded networking opportunities. They will share ideas and build relationships to help grow their businesses. They will have greater exposure and increase their visibility amongst potential customers and investor,” she said.

Bowen-Phillips continued: “They will receive access to valuable resources and information to help them develop their businesses, they will build a strong community of entrepreneurs fostering collaboration and support among each other but most importantly they will inspire other woman to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.”

Considering the challenges entrepreneurs face globally, she said support for women in business is necessary.

While significant progress has been made in the business world in recent decades, she said women in business still face significant challenges in their success and growth.

“This includes access to finances. Recent studies show that women led companies receive only a small percentage of capital funding, making it harder for women to grow their businesses and compete with male led companies,” she explained.

Bowen-Phillips related that women also have to deal with the lack of representation and support in the business world.

“Many business networks and organisations are still male-dominated, making it harder for women to connect with other women in business and access support they need to succeed,” she said.

She noted that as the administration considers the ongoing obstacles and challenges, it is vital that they continue to work towards creating a more equitable business world where women have access to more opportunities, support, tools, and resources that they need to exceed.

Some women entrepreneurs who are showcasing their products at WE LIFT 3, said that they expect the event to provide them with networking opportunities and more clients.

Channey Wong, owner of Designs by Channey, is a 30-year-old who has been making clothing since 2009. This is her first time participating in WE LIFT. She said that the day was exciting as she got to meet lots of people interested in her work and designs.

Taryne Hutson, owner of Organica, who has been doing cold press juicing since 2014, said that her business offers healthy juice options.

They make juice based on orders because their products do not contain preservatives, so to control the quality of it, they allow customers to place their orders and pick-up within a certain time frame.

“On a daily basis, most persons aren’t eating enough vitamins and minerals. Our juices are loaded with the vitamins and minerals,” she said.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Aditya Persaud, a Form Three student representing the Bishop’s High School’s Agricultural Department, and one of the creators of Wema Products, said the business makes value-added products, pepper flakes, seasoning and spices, pepper sauces, and achars.

“All the raw materials are sourced from a local farmer and then manufactured in the science department…we started off as a team, we assembled a few students after the Christmas village,” he said.

They are in the process of getting their business approved.