The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will continue to respect all women’s rights and issues, and will spare no effort in fighting against domestic violence and in ensuring that there is equality of opportunity for all.
Party General Secretary and Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar made this assertion yesterday while addressing scores of women gathered to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
That event was organized by the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), an arm of the ruling PPP/C, and it saw women of all walks of life and from all regions converging on the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown to listen to the presidential candidate and other party members as they addressed issues on women’s rights and gender equality. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, was among the speakers.
In his presentation on the PPP/C vision for the future of Guyanese women, Ramotar declared that Guyana has come a far way in fighting for the rights of women, and has travelled a significant distance in this regard due to the vision and advocacy of founding members like Comrade Janet Jagan.
He said, “We were fortunate to have as one of the leaders (of the party) Comrade Janet Jagan, who was a very progressive leader of her time. It was like a breath of fresh air. A new perspective was brought in front of our people, and from the impact of her political life, she was able to bring women together and to promote an agenda of struggle for women.”
The party’s presidential candidate also noted that an enormous amount of women have contributed in the fight for independence, and were involved in the struggles for freedom during the movement started by the PPP/C in the early period.
Alluding to the initiatives implemented since 1992, Ramotar announced that a vast amount of measures have been taken by this current administration to remove oppression, and to increase the conditions for women to be able to express themselves in every aspect of their lives, and to promote themselves economically and socially.
Success of programmes
“In a direct way, one of the important interventions is the Women of Worth (WoW) programme that was started to help women improve their economic conditions in life. This is very important because, when you look at social issues, you will always trace them back to some economic root in society,” Ramotar explained.
“Therefore, enhancing women’s economic condition is not merely giving them better economic circumstances, but also empowering them to deal with the many issues, and allowing them to reach the equalities sought by all,” he added.
As to additional programmes which have contributed to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment, Ramotar announced that the PPP/C’s investments in the water sector have also aided in this overall objective.
He said, “I remember how many times I have travelled up and down the coast for one reason or another; and, in the 70s and 80s, it was a pitiful sight to see women pushing go-carts with tanks of water, with children hanging on to their skirts… Through our water programme that the PPP/C government started the moment we got into office in 1992, this is no longer the situation in our country.”
Future Plans
He additionally highlighted that through the government’s efforts to provide cheap electricity by means of hydropower, and the advancement of information and communication technology (ICT), more opportunities for job creation will be available.
In this regard, he lauded the Labour Ministry for implementing various training programmes that targeted women across the country.
The gathering at the Yumana Yana yesterday
“Women are obtaining skills in non-traditional areas to be able to play a greater role in society. This is extremely important, and this, too, will have a major impact on the issue of women’s equality and respect for women,” the presidential candidate emphasised.
Despite the successes and great strides made over the years, he posited, there is yet a great amount of work left to be done, especially in relation to stemming the brutal attacks on women in society.
As to the urgent need for this to be done, he stated, “We still have a lot to do. Sometimes, when you read the newspapers and you see the brutality that has been meted out against some of our women, some shock our consciousness and tell us that we still have quite a lot of work to do. And we have to insist that we will carry out this. We have our manifesto and we will emphasise and continue to build on the work we have already done.”
The areas that need to be addressed include strengthening and enforcing existing laws that protect women, in order to send a strong message that the PPP/C is serious about “stamping out the degrading behaviour” of violence against women.
Immediately following his address, members of the audience were invited to participate in an interactive session with the presidential candidate, and to highlight issues they deemed important.
Testimonial
The planned interactive session, however, morphed into a period of testimonials, as several women approached the microphone to testify to the success of the policies of the PPP/C administration, which have changed their lives and the lives of women all across the country.
The representative from the PPP UK branch, Patsy Downey, acknowledged that there have been improvements in the overall condition of the country over the 40 years she has been coming here.
“I have been coming here for 41 years, and I know of the difficult years. It’s good that they are over and they can never return. That is why we need to return the PPP to another five years in government,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Joan-Ann Green from the Linden/Soesdyke Highway noted that the day was indeed a significant occasion in the lives of all Guyanese women, as they have all benefited from the policies and interventions of the PPP/C.
She said, “Today, I must say that I am not the most empowered, but I am an empowered woman. I want to show that I am not afraid to demonstrate, from the Linden Highway to Georgetown, the party I represent and love. I am so happy to be a part of the PPP, which is a mega-party. You are a part of something great, women; feel privileged!”
Immediately after that interactive session, Minister Manickchand took the opportunity to underscore the many achievements of women in Guyana under the PPP/C Administration, and to remind the nation’s women that Guyana is, in many regards, ahead of the race in promoting gender equality.
Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2011/11/26/guyana-leads-in-promoting-gender-equality