‘Help Guyana to achieve its goal of becoming a ‘green’ state’ -First Lady, urges women at Region Two Regional Women’s Conference

May 5, 2017

Georgetown, Guyana – (May 5, 2017) First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, today, urged women to recognise the importance of their role in the growth and sustainable development of their family, community and country, even as Guyana continues along the path towards becoming a ‘green’ state. The First Lady made these remarks while attending the National Congress of Women’s (NCW) Regional Women’s Conference held at the Good Hope Transformation Centre in Pomeroon/Supenaam (Region Two).

First Lady Sandra Granger and Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, upon their arrival at the Supenaam Stelling, were joined by other attendees of the National Congress of Women as they make their way to the Good Hope Transformation Centre.

The First Lady noted that it is important for women to play a greater role in the decision making process. “We must proudly take our places in our families, our neighbourhoods, our villages and at the regional and national levels so that our voices are heard, our needs are recognised and met and we help to change the environment and the circumstances in which we and our families live… Help Guyana to achieve its goal of becoming a ‘green’ state resting on four pillars: energy, environmental security, ecological services, enterprise and employment,” the First Lady said.

Mrs. Granger said that women make up over half of the country’s population and she encouraged them to tap into opportunities to advance their education, improve their skills and to raise their standard of living. “Learn from the skills and experience of your sisters and those who truly have your interests at heart… We have the power of numbers. What we say must be recognised as something important in our neighbourhood, our regions and our nation,” she said.

Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, who serves as Chairperson of the NCW, in her remarks, said that the

A section of the gathering at the Conference

theme of the conference “PNC/R Women Supporting a ‘Green’ Economy” is one which is ever important at this time and that women must, therefore, see their value in playing an important role in the country’s ‘green’ agenda. “Our President, cognisant of the measures that must be put in place to mitigate the effects of climate change, has asked Guyana to go green, challenging us to become masters of our destiny and the destiny of future generations. We have to move out of our comfort zone. We have to mobilise ourselves to support this ‘green’ initiative because Guyana is a country blessed with available natural resources some of which remains untouched to this day. And so I am convinced that we as a nation have no reason to undergo suffering given the vast resources at our disposal,” she said.

Today’s conference featured discussions regarding Guyana’s ‘green’ agenda and steps that can be taken by the NCW to contribute to this thrust. The National Congress of Women is the women’s arm of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and was formed in 1957 as the People’s National Congress Women’s Auxiliary.