THE Women’s Advisory Council (WAC) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has applauded the gains made by Guyanese of their gender, over the decades, in relation to equal rights and equal opportunities in the political and socio-economic spheres.
Against that background, the WAC challenged its members not to allow the achievements to be overridden or taken away by those who still believe that a woman’s place is in the home. This charge was delivered by WAC Executive Member, Ms. Karen Vansluytman-Corbin, who was a panel member at a symposium in the Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU) Hall, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
The occasion was the observance of the 99th International Women’s Day (IWD) last week Monday, under the theme ‘Equal Opportunity, Equal Rights, Progress for All’ and the forum was a lively and highly interactive one which, in addition to deliberations by the panelists, made way for observations and suggestions by others present.
IWD was first celebrated on March 8, 1911 and, every year since, it has focused global attention on the continued need for improving women’s status and opportunities everywhere worldwide.
The women in attendance under the female trade union umbrella were from various backgrounds but they all celebrated the gains and breakthroughs by Guyanese after years of dedicated struggle.
Their discussions spawned wide ranging issues affecting the rights, status and general well-being of women, with the common resolve that each should play a more important role in preserving the gains.

Topics
The topics aired included violence against women in all forms, equal opportunity for women in work situations, political participation, economic opportunities, women’s legal rights, access to quality education and health care and information and services.
There was a call, too, for the revival of moral standards and reclaiming decency in dress, self-esteem and proper parenting, all of which help to advance the status of women.
The Guest Speaker was Ms. Cheryl Sampson, a People’s National Congress Reform Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of the PNCR National Congress of Women (NCW) and a Commissioner of the Women and Gender Equality Commission.
Others sharing the panel with her were TUC/WAC representatives Anne Massiah, Kim Halley, Junie Clarke and Vansluytman-Corbin and their presentations set the stage for the interesting session.
Vansluytman-Corbin, who introduced Sampson, reminded the gathering that, on IWD, women, regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality, language, political affiliation or geography, come together with unity of purpose, to reflect on their political and social situation and the progress made towards gender equity.
Calling on the women to take a stand against having their gains eroded, she exhorted them: “Let us salute the strength and determination of those who have gone before us and the role they played in establishing the foundations on which today’s achievements have been grounded. Let us not ignore them, as most of our history would have done. Let us chronicle today’s achievements for those who follow us.”
Sampson said that, in Guyana, it is the practice to celebrate the gains made by women folk throughout history, for better conditions and improved status.
She said Guyana’s involvement in lobbying for equal rights and opportunities for its women date back to 1953 and recalled the contributions of  the ‘Three Js’- Janet Jagan, Jessie Burnham Jane Phillips-Gay – the first three to have become Parliamentarians and fight unrelentingly on women’s behalf.
Sampson noted their indomitable spirit of resilience and determination to further the cause of women and applauded the support they galvanised, so that, from then on, there was literally no turning back and the old adage, that a woman’s place was in the home, was disproved.

Decision
She said, by 1975, when the first International Women’s Conference was held in Mexico, Guyana was represented and, coming out of it, the Guyanese delegation took the decision to return home and reorganise its women to play a better role in society.
The following year, the country was, again, represented at the United Nations Decade for Women and, in 1976, a State Paper on Equality of Women was presented to Parliament, with the aim of drawing more attention to women and their participation in the political arena.
Sampson said, among the many other women dramatically influencing the advancement of equality of them were Mrs. Viola Burnham – the first female Vice-President and Chair of the Women’s Revolutionary Socialist Movement (WRSM) and Mrs. Philomena Sahoye- Shury of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
Sampson said, progressing steadily, the initiative saw the 1980 elections voting more women into Parliament and, by 1982, with the introduction of a new constitution, Article 29 alluded to the equality of women and included the concept of equal work for equal pay.
The symposium also touched on new and emerging challenges affecting the dignity and morality of women, including the use of fashion to demoralise them; the negative influence of some types of music on behaviour meted out to women and girls by the opposite sex; empowering women to take a stand against domestic violence and what is expected of the Police in relation to domestic violence, recognising that the Domestic Violence Act of 1996 is now law.
Sampson said the key to rising above such situations is to get a good education and she encouraged abused women and girls to find support groups, stay focused on who they are, where they came from and where they are going.