— President Ali says concerted efforts underway to reduce gender inequality in education, employment, health, political representation, decision-making
PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, in his message on World Population Day, pledged Guyana’s continued support for efforts to “unleash the power” of gender equality.
World Population Day 2023 was, on Tuesday, celebrated under the theme “Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities.”
Dr. Ali said: “Guyana is committed to creating a society where women and girls can aspire to realise their potential, fulfill their dreams and contribute their unique talents to shape a better world for future generations.”
The Head of State related that with the world’s population increasing rapidly and projected to surpass 8.5 billion by the end of this decade, it is essential that women and girls, historically the victims of marginalisation, be afforded better opportunities for economic, political, professional and social empowerment.
“By investing more efforts in reducing gender gaps and empowering women and girls, we can lay the foundation for more inclusive and prosperous societies while reversing the historical injustices meted out to women and girls,” President Ali said.
He added: “Gender disparities pose obstacles to women and girls realising their full potential. This is why my government is making a concerted effort to reduce gender inequality in education, employment, health, political representation and decision-making.”
Given that Guyana subscribes to equal opportunities for women and girls, he said that the government believes that by dismantling obstacles which stand in the way of female empowerment, their full potential can be unleashed, thereby contributing to the well-being of society.
While education remains a lynchpin of reducing inequalities, the government has launched initiatives such as the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), which proves as a potent tool in providing women with the knowledge and skills, backed by certification that can allow them to grasp the increasing opportunities generated by the country’s national transformative national agenda.
He said that Guyana is also working assiduously to improve health care, including maternal and reproductive healthcare, and they have declared a policy of zero tolerance for domestic violence, since women are the principal victims of these crimes.
“The Government of Guyana is also empowering women economically. We have an initiative to encourage women and youth in agriculture, thus opening income opportunities for our women. Also, we are catalysing female entrepreneurship to boost female participation in business,” Dr. Ali said.
President Ali related that this year’s theme, reminds them of the continuing need to address gender inequality.
Meanwhile, the Chief Statistician of Guyana Bureau of Statistics, Errol La Cruez, in his message, said that this year’s observance provides an opportunity for countries to take stock and reflect on their progress towards achieving gender equality, as well as creating a safe living and working environment in which women and girls can thrive and enjoy the best quality of life.
He said that tracking such progress and providing a framework for the evaluation of existing policies and introduction of new ones, relies on quality data and statistics.
“Today, statistics play a major role in guiding decision-making everywhere and at all levels. While in the past, the focus tended to be on economic and financial statistics, at a global level there is increased emphasis on social statistics to address the wellbeing of people,” La Cruez said.
The Bureau of Statistics as the Central Statistical Agency of Guyana, plays a critical role in collecting, analysing, and disseminating economic, social, and demographic statistics for the country which guides decision-making and developmental planning, according to La Cruez.
“This data is also vital for measuring the effectiveness and impact of government policies and programmes. In execution of its mandate, the Bureau has collected and reported on population data across various dimensions. These include gender, age, education levels, employment status, occupation, access to health care, income levels and many other variables,” he said.
La Cruez said that the many data collection methods offer the opportunity to generate statistics and perform analysis across all strata of society, however, embedded in this process is also the ability to harness data specifically for women and girls.
According to administrative data from the National Assembly, a six per cent increase was seen in female parliamentarians between the 8th and 12th Parliaments, which places women at the highest decision-making level and provides them with the voice to enact legislations that can have a positive impact on women and girls.
On the housing front, data collected shows that a total of 8,770 women were allocated house lots and houses from January 2021 to date. Women represent 43.99 per cent of total allottees for 2023.
He said that this data shows the significant contribution and participation of women in Guyana’s economic and social systems, and underscores the importance of ensuring that there are good data systems to continue to monitor the conditions of women and girls in the country.
