Stories of Change, Compassion, and Community coming from 2025’s IWLA

THE 25 Influential Women Leaders Award (25IWLA) celebrates Guyanese women who continue to break boundaries in their communities, workplaces, and sectors. From entrepreneurs and environmentalists to healthcare workers and human rights advocates, this year’s awardees reflect a rich diversity of experience, background, and purpose. What ties this particular group of women together is their drive to create safe spaces, uplift others, and be of service in deeply meaningful ways.

They aren’t all CEOs or politicians. Some lead from clinics, classrooms, parks, and even book clubs. They’re the kind of women who make a difference quietly, consistently, and with heart. Among them is Colleen Prince, a psychologist and entrepreneur who founded Be Her Here, a women’s group that has transformed the lives of vulnerable women through counselling, training workshops, and financial literacy programmes. Her work builds not just confidence but community.

Similarly, Devica Uditram has found power in community through mental health awareness and literary empowerment. Having overcome her own challenges, she now volunteers with the Guyana Pandits’ Council Medical Outreach Team and created the Literary Coven GY Book Club, which brings together women with a shared love for reading, support, and self-improvement.

Health and healing are central to the work of Dr Sadhana Samtani Sultan, a medical doctor and mental health practitioner dedicated to patients living with kidney failure. Through her leadership, she organises annual events focusing on exercise, nutrition, and psychosocial support for dialysis patients; many of whom find hope and healing in her efforts.

In Bartica, Tamana Safraj, a psychologist and entrepreneur, is creating spaces for open conversations about bullying, mental health, and youth challenges. Her school visits have helped young people gain tools to cope with anxiety and depression, while encouraging them to speak up and support each other.

Vanessa Elizabeth Williams has dedicated her life to changing the course for at-risk youth. Her work led to the creation of a multi-purpose centre in East Ruimveldt, where young people access job training, business development support, and mentorship. For many, the centre has become more than a resource; it’s become a place of belonging.

Nurse Vidya Ketwaroo brings empathy and grace to her work with cancer patients. Drawing on personal experience, she has become a source of comfort for chemotherapy clients and survivors, making their experience more human and less lonely. Her dedication continues to inspire those around her.

In the area of sexual and reproductive health, Reisa Roberts is a quiet force. As a peer educator, she works to ensure women and girls have access to life-changing knowledge and resources. She was a key figure behind Guyana’s first infertility symposium in 2017 and continues to support transformative health programmes.

At the University of Guyana, Mendy Nicholson leads with purpose. As President of the Female Empowerment Movement, she has rolled out menstrual hygiene awareness campaigns reaching over 100 girls in rural communities. Her work bridges the gap between education and advocacy while tackling taboos that still exist around menstrual health.

Women like Jasmaine Payne show that leadership can come in many forms. A writer, communications expert  and community volunteer, Jasmaine has overseen CSR projects across the country with local private and government partners aimed at promoting local biodiversity while creating more green spaces for communities to enjoy.

Another woman transforming environmental awareness into action is Francina Lanferman-Duncan. With almost ten years of environmental advocacy under her belt, she has been instrumental in projects with Miss Earth Guyana and Recover Guyana, educating youth and raising awareness about climate change and sustainable practices.

A kindred spirit in this space is Mahadevi Doobay-Girdhary, who also volunteers with Recover Guyana and has pushed environmental education through youth-centred activities like Project SHOUT; a speech competition that has inspired hundreds of students to become environmental ambassadors.

And finally, in media and mentorship, Martina Mc-Donald-Johnson shines as the CEO of Integrated Marketing Communications Inc. and a seasoned radio producer. She has used her platform and experience to train upcoming media professionals and guide them with the same generosity and knowledge that shaped her own career. Through this, she continues to redefine what it means to empower through information.

While their paths vary, all these women have something powerful in common: a deep commitment to people. Whether they’re providing safe spaces for women, building mental health support systems, teaching young girls about their bodies, or nurturing the environment, their actions ripple outward, changing lives in visible and invisible ways.

Slated for May 17, the 25IWLA aims to recognise that influence doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes, it’s the nurse who listens, the teacher who believes, the woman who stays up late to finish a grant proposal for a small NGO, or the one who makes room for someone else at the table. And these women prove that influence is not about the spotlight; it’s about impact.