Guyana has made considerable progress towards empowering women- Minister Ally

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, March 8, 2018

Guyana has made considerable progress towards empowering women, through improved access to quality education and training, participation in high-level decision- making, facilitating the growth of small and medium enterprises, expanding healthcare and services for women and girls and reducing poverty among other programmes.

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally during her address to the participants.

This was pointed out by Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, who was addressing the opening of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) workshop. The one-day forum was aimed at building the capacity of women in the public sector.

Despite the gains, Minister Ally noted that there still remain some social inequalities that hinder women’s advancement and their full participation in decision-making processes across both the public and private sectors.

Pointing out that “an enabling environment in which all women can thrive must be created,” Minister Ally observed that all must play a part to ensure that Guyanese women and girls are empowered towards this goal.

“This will require a new assessment of our partnerships, capabilities, and our shared aspirations. Constructing a better world of work for women will require us to start change at home and in the earliest days in school. As girls become women, we must provide them with a safe environment to empower and encourage them to become professions leaders in public service, science, technology, engineering, and agriculture”, she stated.

GPSU’s President, Patrick Yard noted that International Women’s Day serves to remind the world of the need to recognise and honour women and meaningfully acknowledge without prejudice, their entitlement to equality of which they are deserving.

“Indeed”, he said, “The fact that the issue of equality and equal respect for women continually arises on occasion such as this, is in itself an acknowledgement of the fact that we continue to fall well short of what is our obligation.”

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The year’s activities are being observed under the theme “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.”

Some of the women who participated in the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) workshop.

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally receiving a bouquet of flowers from Guyana Public Service Union (GPSY) President, Patrick Yard.

 

By: Synieka Thorne

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