The strength of a woman
─ Inaugural Women in Agriculture Appreciation Day held
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Merriment and excitement filled the atmosphere as the Ministry of Agriculture hosted its first Women in Agriculture Appreciation Day at the Watooka Complex in Linden.
Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, with responsibility for Rural Affairs, Hon. Valerie Adams-Yearwood officially addressed the gathering.
“Like any other career, farmers and other ‘Agri-preneurs’ work long hours to support their families and are generally tasked with equal and at times more workloads daily. However, unlike other jobs that are usually entitled to days off. Our female farmers and farmers as a whole, work day-to-day with little to no vacation periods or “days off”.
For this reason, today we recognise the hard work and efforts made by our female farmers and join with you to celebrate women in agriculture and a “women in agriculture day off”.
Minister Adams-Yearwood acknowledged the central role that women play in the food chain and agricultural output globally. She stressed that more focus must be placed on new and innovative ways to advance women’s contribution to the sector.
“It is important that our country recognises the significant contributions our women make towards the development of Agriculture in rural communities and the country holistically. It is for this reason also, that developmental bodies, who can improve the lives of these women, focus openly on the empowerment and provision of substantial support to enhance their businesses and improve agriculture in these communities.”
The event was well attended from women across the coast and Linden. These women continue to contribute to agriculture in some significant way. The women were well adorned in cultural clothing, and a mini-pageant was held to determine the best-dressed Woman in Agriculture. There was also a Karaoke and a musical chairs competition.