MORE than 350 women-owned businesses are participating in the fifth annual WE LIFT Exhibition at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

The event which opened on Friday will end on Sunday.

The exhibition serves as a pivotal platform for showcasing the ingenuity and economic contributions of women-owned enterprises, across Guyana.

WE LIFT, in its fifth year, is marked as a supportive ecosystem where women entrepreneurs can confidently present their products and services, engage in meaningful dialogue, and explore collaborative avenues to amplify their creative and innovative potential.

The exhibition stands as a testament to the Ministry of Human Service’s commitment to economic empowerment and gender equality, providing a vital stage for the burgeoning businesses led by women across various sectors.

On Thursday, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud hosted a press briefing at the event location where preparation works were ongoing for this weekend’s activities.

Minister Persaud stated that the event has become known as the largest exposition featuring women-owned businesses, not only in Guyana but across the region.

“We started this process five years ago and when we did start WE LIFT, it was with the intention of showcasing women-owned businesses, diverse businesses, and we started with a small number of 75 women. Today, we are looking at over 350 women-owned businesses.”

These, she said, are diverse businesses ranging from candle making, soap making, and agro-processing services, to food, fashion, craft and jewellery, among others.

“I believe that those who come out tomorrow (Friday) when we have the opening of this exposition will be able to do as we have been advertising, explore, experience, shop, support, and of course, the women who are here with their businesses will be able to network,” she said.

Marking this event as an incredible one, the minister said it speaks to the ministry’s commitment to women’s empowerment which follows on the heels of pre-training through the Women’s Innovation Investment Network (WIIN) and leading on to an exposition where the participants are able to showcase their natural progression into entrepreneurship.

THE IMPACT OF WE LIFT

Minister Persaud expressed how impressed she is by what the women who have participated in the exhibition have been doing, noting that they have seen their growth.

She said, “We’ve seen many of them move from micro to mid-level businesses, and we’re hoping that with this kind of exposure, they can only expand more and more. We’ve also seen a number of women have the opportunity to partner, to have contracts with places like hotels to supply things like condiments and this is what we need to see going forward as the Ministry of Human Services continues with its dedicated efforts of empowering women.”
For each day of the exhibition, Minister Persaud said there will be a number of sessions from yoga to makeup, craft making, jewellery making, candle making, and soap making.

“So, we have slotted an hour for each one of these on both Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a panel discussion, and I understand from the Ministry of Human Services team, there will be a dance-off, a gender dance-off,” the minister added.

Minister Persaud underscored that this year’s WE LIFT will be a really engaging activity, and she invites all to come out and support the women and their businesses.

This year’s exhibition is sponsored by Massy Distribution, Ansa McAL Group of Companies, ExxonMobil, Inter-American Development Bank, Brava, and Nations Incorporated.

The WE LIFT Exhibition opens at 13:00 hours and entry is free.