Care economy to absorb hundreds of WIIN beneficiaries – Min Persaud

Thousands of women and men trained under the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) are positioned to enter Guyana’s emerging care economy, a key component of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s five-year development blueprint.

On Sunday’s episode of the Starting Point Podcast, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, said the initiative aims to build structured and transparent systems as well as economic independence for the most vulnerable populations.

Over the past five years, more than 21,000 women have benefitted from WIIN’s free training programmes, allowing them to transition into jobs and business opportunities within the care sector.

The training has been tailored to meet labour market demands, focusing on areas including early childhood development, elder care, and patient care.

“We have invested significant allocations, financial allocations, as well as time towards taking women through the care system so they are poised to enter the care economy,” the minister stated.

She explained that the government is developing a co-investment model for trained individuals to either seek employment, form consortia, or establish their own services.

Part of this effort includes expanding childcare services across communities, which Minister Persaud described as critical to removing long-standing barriers that have limited women’s participation in the workforce.

Through this model, the government will partner with individuals, groups, and organisations to establish and equip childcare facilities.

In addition to childcare, specialised training is being introduced in areas such as special needs education, further broadening the scope of services within the care economy.

Minister Persaud said her ministry has already provided grants to over 100 women to establish early childhood centres, while several facilities have been upgraded to serve as centres of excellence. These are being used as models to guide the wider rollout of community-based care services.

“What we are developing is an ecosystem of care that has all of the elements to ensure we can achieve this bigger national programme where we are putting care in communities.”

Beyond training, efforts are also being made to ensure women can access markets and scale their businesses. Through initiatives such as the WeLift platform, participants are being connected to digital marketplaces, cashless payment systems, and export opportunities.