THE meeting of the Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) yesterday saw a call for the participants to further advance themselves, so as to enhance the contribution they make to their country. The exhortation was by President of Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), Mrs. Belinda Wilson, who delivered the feature address at GTU Headquarters, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
The WAC meeting is one of several other activities that are part of the second biennial conference of the GTU, a three day event.
The biennial conference’s opening ceremony was held last evening at the GTU headquarters.
Challenging women in the Education Sector to expand their horizons, she told them: “When you would have equipped yourselves, return home to make a contribution to the building of your union and, by extension, your country.”
Speaking to the general Conference’s theme ‘Organising for Economic Justice through Investment in Teachers’, Wilson said, in order to organise for economic justice, one must make the relevant investments, more particularly, in oneself.
“Seek higher education, create businesses or learn a new skill. You must take advantage of the offerings at the University of Guyana. Seek higher education, because knowledge is power,” she advised.
According to Wilson, economic justice encapsulates three basic principles, participation which calls for inclusion and equal opportunities; distribution, which speaks to rights matched to each individual to allow for contribution; and harmony, which calls for detection and correction to restore justice to maintain balance.
She reflected on the fact that women have come a long way, from simply taking on domestic chores to being at the forefront of different sectors in society.
“Women are moving towards economic justice,” Wilson declared.
Reiterating her admonition for personal enhancement, she observed that educating oneself is the quintessential step to begin organising for economic justice.
Wilson added that, apart from education, other investments include hard work, support for leaders, dedication to the union, service to the members, self-control, constructive criticism, loyalty and participation.
“Economic justice depends on investment in you,” she maintained.
Acknowledging that the investments can advance an individual towards a leadership position, Wilson said it is more than that and is also a vision, with productivity being the key which would help to retain it.
Strategic plan
“As women, you must read more, study harder and do more with less. You must have a strategic plan. Work effectively and plan ahead,” was her further advice.
Wilson warned, though, that, in the pursuit of success, there will be challenges, the obvious ones being negative attitudes, disrespect for authority and undermining.
She said members of the WAC and, by extension, all in the GTU, must be supportive of each other, so as to overcome the different challenges.
Wilson said the WAC has to be prepared to address issues head on in areas that impact their society.
In that context, she said cooperation is essential for the growth and development of the WAC.
Principal Education Officer (PEO), Georgetown, Mr. Marcel Hudson, who also addressed the gathering, concurred, adding that the progression of the sector cannot occur without the support of groups like the WAC and GTU.
Stating that female and male teachers complement each other, he said the fact of the matter is that there can be no effective progress without the collaborative effort of both men and women.
About the contribution of women to education sector, Hudson said they bring a “heart of compassion” to the table, a trait not usually exhibited by male teachers.
“We cannot make it without you,” he told the women.
In an invited comment, General Secretary of the GTU, Ms. Coretta McDonald said it was only fitting that the contribution of women teachers be recognised.
The WAC is 69 years old and represents the interest of all the women in the GTU and its General Council is made up of 39 representatives of 39 GTU branches countrywide.