-WPO Head says; highlights how party has empowered women

WHEN it comes to empowering women, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) does more than verbalise their care and concern. Instead, it continues to work assiduously to put women on the front-burners of leading the nation.

According to Sheila Veerasammy, the Head of the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), while commemorating the 71st anniversary, reflected on the challenges that women endured and how the PPP was the only political party that fought for their rights to be upheld.

“The party [PPP] talks the talk but also walks the talk,” she said.

She added that the PPP had been successful in achieving universal adult suffrage, which allowed Guyanese citizens to cast ballots for a government of their choice on April 27, 1953, regardless of their education or economic status.

However, she pointed out that the 1968 elections saw massive electoral fraud by the People’s National Congress-Reform (PNC-R) and there were even similar attempts in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

With that said, Veerasammy noted that because of the PPP, “Women have always [had] a great role in elections work and equality and equity.”

Veerasammy further outlined how the PPP has bolstered education in Guyana by paving the way for free university education and providing free scholarships through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and Coursera, etc.

Since its commencement in 2021, the GOAL has successfully fulfilled its objective of providing over 20,000 tertiary-level scholarships to Guyanese from every region.

Notably, the WPO was formed on the 27th May, 1953 by Janet Jagan, Jane Philips-Gay, Jessica Huntley and Miss Aukland.

According to a press release, preceding this organisation, the Women’s Political and Economic Organisation (WPEO) was formed by Jagan and others in July of 1946 and it fulfilled its mandate by setting the pace for establishment of the WPO, a broad-based national women’s political organisation that has its foundation in every region of Guyana.

The WPO was the first women’s political organisation in Guyana to represent the political and socio-economic well-being of women, children, and families and provide leadership for the transformation of women’s lives in society. Its primary objectives were to advocate for the rights of women and equal opportunities, especially in the field of education and work.

“In its 71 years, the WPO observed the major strides made for women by consecutive PPP/Civic governments. Women moved from the fields into the classroom; from the kitchen into the office and from their homes into the world of decision making.

“Today, the opportunities that lie before women, encourages [sic] them to realise their full potential. But more than that, women today have knowledge and technical skills to influence decisions in every sphere of society. They can represent themselves and each other. The constitution of Guyana, the many legislations and government policies support and inspire the upward mobility of women,” the release further stated.

The WPO further highlighted that even though much has been achieved, there is still the elephant in the room, which is the fact that women continue to face cultural practices that put them at a disadvantage.

“This particular practice is inherent in the society’s tradition and it’s taking longer to unshackle. Domestic violence and control of women should no longer be a part of our socio-economic and political landscape. Therefore, the WPO will continue to create awareness through information sharing and discussions to reduce and ultimately eradicate this scourge from our society, as we strive to build our one Guyana, where all can live in harmony.

The Women’s Progressive Organisation wishes to reaffirm its commitment to championing the cause of women’s rights in Guyana and wishes to thank the past and present leadership and membership of the organisation for keeping it alive. We wish to thank the PPP and its leadership for the foresight of establishing this glorious organisation that many call, ‘Home’,” the release stated.