-says women now leading 65 per cent of new agribusinesses in Guyana, excelling in education and entrepreneurship

WITH targetted investments and policies, Guyanese women have been the bedrock of the country’s growth and transformation.

This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who, while addressing an event over the weekend, disclosed that some $156 billion has been invested into several initiatives aimed at empowering women.

In sectors ranging from agriculture to education, women are being supported to thrive in all sections of Guyana’s society.

“The women in our society are the foundation on which this nation will stand and grow. And our duty as men is to protect that foundation, to nurture that foundation, and to safeguard that foundation,” Dr. Ali said before emphasising that women should be protected by their counterparts.

“If, as men, we safeguard this foundation with dignity honour, and we safeguard it with all our will and might, our country will be the shining star of all of the world, and we will all live that prosperous life,” he added.

The Head of State pointed out that the Agriculture Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme has surpassed its ambitious goal of 35 per cent women ownership for new agribusinesses. The project was first launched in 2020, and, to date, 65 per cent of these businesses are now owned and led by women.

In addition to this, the country has reported an upsurge in women graduating from several programmes at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).

“50 per cent of the total graduates from the Guyana School of Agriculture are women today, and that is because we have been able to show them that you can do agriculture without going into the fields through technical education,” President Ali said.

Women are not only making significant strides in the agriculture sector, but are also benefitting from educational opportunities, with more than $30 billion invested in the past four years.

Dr. Ali noted that of the 9,000 people who have completed the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme, 7,000 are women.

Additionally, 10,000 women have graduated from various technical institutions across Guyana, and almost 60 per cent have received scholarships through the Hinterland Scholarship Programme.

“Let us celebrate women tomorrow; let us honour the women of yesterday, and let us understand as a nation, as a people, that the women in our society are the bedrock of our society.”

Dr. Ali noted that women are playing a vital role in shaping the nation’s future, with over 4,000 of the 4,600 recently graduated teachers being women.

“Women are taking the burden of our future on their shoulders, and they’re making the sacrifices, and they’re investing in the future of our country by delivering and creating in themselves vessels and assets of our nation. Let us not take this work of our women for granted.”

In addition to these, thousands of women have gained valuable skills to grow and thrive in their business ventures through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Women Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) training programme.

The president also highlighted that as Guyana continues its transformation, future investments will focus on establishing daycare facilities to support professional women.