BY empowering and enriching women, doors for new opportunities are opened, allowing them to become independent and to create a better life for themselves.
Under this belief, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Sunday hosted a women empowerment forum, titled, “EMPOWHER”, which brought together women from several areas and provided them with an opportunity to network with other women and key stakeholders in Guyana.

The forum, which was hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, targeted women who are single mothers and females interested in opportunities in entrepreneurship and employment.
The women received life-coaching and motivation, female entrepreneurship support and on-the- spot Women Investment and Innovation Network (WIIN) registration.

Participants were advised that together they are stronger and can create a world where women can thrive and are given respect, opportunities and recognition.
Speaking on equality, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud, in her remarks said that we cannot want to empower women or have women get to the point where they don’t see men as equal partners.

“It’s not a competitive journey. It is teamwork, and I must acknowledge all of the efforts of the men in the room and the men who are not here, who are equal partners with us, fighting for those same rights of women, fighting for those same goals that we try to attain, whether we are here nationally or globally,” the minister commented.

Minister Persaud said: “We’re also seeing more women, girls, leaving secondary education than boys in Guyana. It means we’re doing a lot of things right, but in our rush to get where we need to go, we have to take the boys along and make sure that they too are part of this journey when we speak of secondary and tertiary-level education.”

It was revealed that the ministry will be rolling out a very ambitious programme next year that will focus more on men. She said they are looking at how the ministry can expand its network of support to young people.
Finally, Minister Persaud said that once the programme takes off, her ministry will be hosting one across the country, bringing women together to have the same opportunities of life-coaching, business literacy, entrepreneurship skills and taking a look at the social ills that women face in today’s world.

The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Officer-in-Charge, Nadira Balram stated that the event represents an essential step toward building a future where every woman has the tools, resources, and support needed to thrive.
Balram noted that it is yet another initiative championed by Minister Persaud who is renowned as a timeless advocate for women’s improvement.

“The forum today will explore a variety of key market areas, each designed to equip women with particular skills, knowledge, and confidence. Throughout the day, we will discuss financial literacy and how it is very essential for women to take control of their finances, secure their future, and build resilience in the face of economic challenges,” Balram said.

She pointed out that this, along with the number of other topics slated for discussion, are linked to global efforts toward achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. She reminded that these are central to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to Balram, the UNDP is at the forefront of supporting countries–including Guyana– in advancing these objectives through programmes that foster women’s economic participation, increased access to public services, and promoting gender-responsive governance.

She reminded the audience that as they engaged in the session, that women’s empowerment is not only a woman’s issue, but is also a societal one.
Balram related that gender equality is foundational and is not only about uplifting women, but about breaking barriers and limiting them. In doing so, it creates a more just and equitable world for all. (Faith Greene)