-Human Services Minister urges at Guyana Chronicle’s IWD event

DURING an International Women’s Day activity held by the Guyana Chronicle at its Bel Air location, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, emphasised the importance of eradicating the existing gender bias to ensure that gender equality is a norm in every society.

Minister Persaud joined the management in celebrating the hard-working female staff members and delivered the feature address.

“We have to ensure every day to take stock of if we have been part of the cycle of continuing bias. If we are not conscious of it then we will not fix it. It requires concerted effort and education. Many meaningful discussion programmes, policies and initiatives in the public and private sectors on women’s empowerment,” she said.

She noted that gender equality is important because no country’s development can be successful or sustained without the invaluable contributions of women.

According to the minister, engaging and empowering women directly drives economic advancement.

“Studies have shown that when women are invested in, they contribute 90 per cent of what they receive back to their family. When women are educated and are given the tools to develop themselves, they transform their environments, changing the lives of their family members and by extension they become proactive advocates, championing many causes for the advancement of their peers and their sisters,” she added.

She told the gathering that to achieve gender equality, there must be equal access to opportunities and resources, as well as discussions at the simplest levels to change the cultural outlook.

“The conversation needs to begin from home [and] filter out into communities to the workplaces and by extension the country at large. It is not an easy thing because it requires cultural shift that requires change,” Dr. Persaud stressed.

She called on women to also remember the need to empower, elevate, respect each other, and create formidable support networks.

“We live in a very fragile environment where when women achieve great heights, it is sometimes tenuous. It is imperative in this era that we applaud and salute those women who have blazed trails and who have broken the biases that exist and be where they are today and to all of them wherever they are, I say congratulations,” she said.

She also addressed the need to address unconscious bias, and for such changes to begin with the family unit.

“It requires us to look back on where we’ve come from and how we have been socialised to understand that sometimes we are not breaking biases but are in fact …encouraging them. If we are to undo what has been done, we need to start from the foundation… what are our core values when it comes to women, and that message needs to start at home,” she said.

During the event, the female staff members were serenaded by local singer, Calvin Burnett and treated to wine, chocolate and roses. In addition to board members, Harry Gill and Rawle Aaron who delivered remarks, General Manager, Moshamie Ramotar and Editor-in-Chief, Tajeram Mohabir were also in attendance.