Feminition, the women’s exposition, sought to recognise, highlight and promote the skills and capabilities of Guyanese women, Human Services and Social Security Minister Priya Manickchand said during the opening of the event on Friday last. The event was held at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

“The beauty, the creativity, the capacity, the capability of our women (are) oftentimes lost, hidden, stifled, underdeveloped, unutilised, underutilized because of the apathy and sometimes downright refusal to recognise women as capable in every sphere of life,” she said.

Feminition, Minister Manickchand said, was conceived during 2009. “Women across the country told us they wanted the expo, they wanted their own platform. They felt intimidated by the large organisations and forums,” Manickchand said.

She continued that the government felt an exposition exclusively for women producers was a fantastic investment, and directed Gy$15 million towards the realisation of the project. Government, she said, recognised that, even in an unequal world, given the right venue, women can reach great heights in all areas. She applauded several of the great women in Guyana, and made notable mention of the fact that Guyana has had a female President in Mrs Janet Jagan and a female Chief Justice and Chancellor in Justice Desiree Bernard – the first female Chief Justice and Chancellor in the Caribbean.

“We have seen an increasing number of women assuming leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. We have seen more women speaking out about domestic violence, and more women exiting violent relationships. We have seen more women developing skills and taking up their places of choice in the homes and the work places.”

Minister Manickchand noted that Feminition continues in the line of numerous initiatives by the government in taking proactive measures to improve the lives and the livelihoods of women in the country.

She listed some of the other initiatives conducted, such as the awareness campaign about violence against women, the provision of universal access to primary education, the construction of the family court, the re- establishment of constitutionally prescribed gender and equality laws, the training for single-parent women, the microcredit for single-parent women, and the provision of property through the Ministry of Housing to women.

Under the Legal Aid initiative, thousands of cases have been seen coming from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, 10, and mostly women have accessed this service. She said the microcredit scheme has assisted hundreds of single-parents to develop a skill of their choice. A total of 920 single-parent women have received in excess of Gy$167 million under this programme in less than one year. Feminition and the other government initiatives represent the tangible difference government is making in the lives of Guyanese women.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=7318

…as government considers many requests from exhibitors, patrons

THE possibility of making ‘Feminition’ an annual event is being considered by government, following ‘hundreds of requests’ from exhibitors and patrons.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand said so Tuesday in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle. She deemed the event very successful. ‘Feminition’ has been conceived as another intervention in the empowerment of women and was intended to recognise, highlight and promote their skills, talents, capacities and capabilities.

“I expect that this exposition shall inspire women who exhibit, as well as women who visit the exposition, to greater heights, by encouraging women to take up their place in society as equals, by allowing the necessary networking in groups and services, and by educating about rights and available services,” Manickchand had said of the exposition.
According to her, gender equality would not just benefit women, but also men and children, and that all would develop at a much faster pace.

The three-day expo was held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, with the aim of providing focus on ways of improving one’s self image and enjoying a healthier lifestyle.
Art, craft, jewellery, clothing, sweet meats and a variety of other foods were on sale at the event. Entry to the event was free and small manufacturers featured prominently among the exhibitors who took up booths at the expo.
Corporate sponsors, partnering with the Government of Guyana, had done much to subsidise the entire cost of the event, so that many of the booths did not have to be paid for. Meanwhile, government had invested $15M in the project.

The event was declared opened Friday by President Bharrat Jagdeo following an entertaining show. Saturday featured a mega concert with only female artistes, some of whom were international performers and a grand fashion show, featuring popular, local designers, was staged on Sunday.
Minister Manickchand had said that it was “pleasing and extremely encouraging” to see the response of the corporate community. Sponsors included Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), ANSA McAl Trading, Banks DIH Limited, Hits and Jams Entertainment, Impressions, Gem Magazine and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).
The expo included a symposium on women’s issues, an award ceremony for young business women, makeovers, horticulture, hair care, home decorating, and legal aid.

Feminition was designed to showcase the progress achieved by women in Guyana, highlight clearly defined career choices, showcase women’s leadership, create and stimulate employment ideas for some unemployed, and stimulate a drive for women’s entrepreneurship.

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/06/02/feminition-might-be-an-annual-event

Dear editor,
I wish to give my personal thoughts on Feminition as printed in STABROEK NEWS, Saturday, May 21, 2011.
I would like to define a true woman as one who carries that hearing and acts on her own most of the times.  Acts of KINDESS AND DEEDS through her life are hallmarks.
The feminine side of her is always shown in public. That person will be attracted or drawn as a different person unlike others.
She possesses some amount of quality and image. Her affection and smile are worn despite the difficulties.
Elizabeth Taylor- flim actress who died a few months ago in the U.S.A once remarked that beauty lies inside and not outside.
You must learn to be creative. God has a way of giving back and you will realize that there are more to offer in this world, because when you live the life that is worthy, you will have no regrets. Learn and correct weakness, mistakes and bad experiences.
BE STRONG
No matter how brilliant, educated, prominent, and wealthy you are, you must give back in a more meaningful way, or else you’ll end up a hopeless case.
Ageing goes hand in hand as the years rolled by, and do not allow yourself to remain dormant. Think carefully how you would shape your life ahead.
Lastly, whatever time is left make it worthwhile. Only you can do it!!! Truly, the show sponsored was a good turn. It is left to your imagination.

Cicely Foo

 

 

 

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/06/01/%E2%80%9Cfeminition%E2%80%9D-to-recognise-women%E2%80%99s-true-worth/

Feminition: Women’s Exposition sought to recognise, highlight and promote the skills, the talent, the capacity and capabilities of Guyanese women, and was another of the People’s Progressive Party’s initiative to empower women.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand at the opening of the event at the National Stadium on Friday last, said, “The beauty, the creativity, the capacity, the capability of our women is oftentimes lost, hidden, stifled, underdeveloped, un-utilized, and under-utilized, because of the apathy and sometimes downright refusal to recognise women as capable in every sphere of life,” she said.

Feminition, Minister Manickchand said, was born during 2009.
“Women across the country, they told us they wanted the expo, they wanted their own platform. They felt intimidated by the large organisations and forums …,” she said.
Minister Manickchand said that the government felt that an expo exclusive to women producers was a fantastic investment and directed $15 million in the realization of the project.
Government, she said, recognised that even in an unequal world, given the right venue, women can reach great heights in all areas.

Manickchand, in her remarks, applauded several of the great women in Guyana. She made notable mention of the fact that Guyana has had a female President, Janet Jagan; and a female Chief Justice and Chancellor, Justice Desiree Bernard, the first female Chief Justice and Chancellor in the Caribbean.
“We have seen an increasing number of women assuming leadership roles in both the private and public sector… We have seen more women speaking out about domestic violence and more women exiting violent relationships. We have seen more women developing skills and taking up their place of choice in the home and the work place.”
Minister Manickchand noted that Feminition continues in the line of numerous initiatives by the government in taking proactive measures to improve the lives and the livelihoods of women in the country.

She listed some of the other initiatives conducted, such as the awareness campaign about violence against women, the provision of universal access to primary education, the construction of the family court, the re-establishment of constitutionally prescribed gender and equality laws, the training for single parent women, the micro credit scheme for single parent women, and the provision of property through the Ministry of Housing to women.
Under the Legal Aid initiative, thousands of cases have been seen from Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10, and mostly women have accessed this service.
She said that the Micro Credit scheme has assisted hundreds of single parents to develop a skill of their choice. A total of 920 single parent women, she said, have received in excess of $167M under this programme in less than a year.

Feminition and the other government initiatives are the tangible differences government is making in the lives of Guyanese women.
“We recognise that we have a lot more do, more women to serve, but the environment has been established where gender equality can prevail,” she said.
Minister Manickchand said that she expects that the Feminition expo will inspire women to greater heights by encouraging them to take their places in society.
Feminition staged over three days attracted a wide cross-section of women and gave women producers the opportunity to showcase their products and make linkages for markets. 

 

 

 

Source: (GINA)https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/06/01/feminition-serves-to-establish-an-environment-where-gender-equality-can-prevail-minister-manickchand

Dear Editor,
Firstly, I would like to congratulate the Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand for successfully hosting ‘Feminition 2011’.
My friends and I had a wonderful time at the exposition over the weekend and it gave us an opportunity to learn some things and see some of what women can do to earn a living.

This provided a good opportunity for us to check out the booth that the Ministry of Health set up and we got a lot of helpful information, were able to test our blood pressure and get our BMI checked out. The ladies in the booths were so helpful and gave us so much information. Of course we all left there with a lot of leaflets and brochures which were all so helpful and will continue to be helpful in coming days.
I just feel that this was such a wonderful opportunity for women to be highlighted and shown that there are better things in store out there and that we can do so much better if we know how to go about it.
The booth set up by the Bank also provided information on loans and services and although I did not have to utilize the services of the Ministry of Housing’s booth, I was happy to see them helping persons to apply for house lots.
The fashion show and concert were well attended and I feel that it gave designers the opportunity to show off their creations to regular everyday people, instead of just those attending fashion shows.

The regular housewife might not have had an interest in attending such shows in the past, but the exposition provided the opportunity for everyone to see what our local designers have to offer.
I think the exposition catered for a lot of tastes and showed a variety of services in several areas including fitness and nutrition, fashion, arts and craft, horticulture, banking and finance, and home and beauty.
I do hope that Government might consider making this an annual exposition because I am sure that after seeing what this exposition had to offer, more persons would be interested in participating next time.

Attiya Baksh

 

 

 

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/05/31/feminition-was-excellent/

STELLA Ramsaroop in her ‘Stella Says’ column on Sunday May 29th, titled “Serving alcohol at Feminition is like asking a woman to kiss a cutlass” makes a vacuous point, and in so doing, she has undermined the free choice of women.

One gets the impression that Stella is not up to date on women’s issues. 
In Feminist discourse, a woman wants equality of being, and this assumes the ‘freedom’ to choose. For example, it is the woman’s right to abort the baby; for after all it is her body. Why must a man be allowed to drink indiscriminately, and not a woman? This is so for all facets of life. When a woman is curtailed in manners, dress, activities etc, she considers it gender discrimination, even if, many feel it is an overt attempt to shield her. She wants to shield herself. So alcohol at ‘Feminition’ is really a non- issue.
It is also a non-issue because alcohol is not debarred from women in Guyana.
Some may call it moral laxity, but women here can access the ‘Sheriff Street Joints,’ the ‘Chutney, Rap and Reggae Super Concerts’ and just about indulge and imbibe whenever and wherever they want. There is a feeling of social elevation for many of them in so doing. So in attempting to curb this desire (albeit for some, it is courting danger), they can feel inferior-they want it, and will have it. So yes, one can empathise with Stella. She really wants to help, and she is helping, but in this case, it might be better to ask how women in Guyana view the ‘drinking’ business.

The second point about the corollary of ‘drinking’ and ‘abuse’ must be elucidated a bit clearer.
The drinking binges by men, that in all likelihood redound in their battering of women is a fact of life. But one cannot understand how any kind of prohibition of alcohol at Feminition was/is going to undermine or send mixed messages regarding this mores in Guyana. In fact, alcohol (substance abuse on the whole) has been responsible for many other evils as well. In addition to spousal (namely women) abuse, one can add children abuse, accidents victims etc. However taking into consideration the ‘freedom to access’ which is so normal in Guyana, many countries do not allow children under 16 to purchase any kind of alcoholic beverage whatsoever. Also, in Guyana, many women are feeling the ‘need to catch up’ and be ‘modern’ and so they resort to the ‘substance’ and in so doing (many times, it results in their own demise).

In closing, it is good that Stella highlighted the collective and permanent benefits of Feminition. It has already inspired women to seek empowerment, and this is where the real struggle is. It is only when women can be valued equally as men that the problem of their abuse will start to be seriously combatted. This empowerment will come when ‘earning power’ comes their way, either via education or through special skills. After all, ‘money talks’ and this is why men ‘show off’ and ‘abuse’ at will.  Women are prized possessions, and they must be legally and socially protected.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/05/31/alcohol-at-feminition-a-non-issue

FEMINITION: Definition of a Woman’ was deemed a success in not only displaying the skills of, and opportunities available to women, but also in celebrating the achievements of great Guyanese women with a view to inspiring younger generations to greatness.

To those who questioned the wisdom behind the concept of Feminition, President Bharrat Jagdeo said the exposition has a purpose to help to create a mindset, that we need a quantum leap forward in how to approach women’s issues. 
He said the exposition could help in shifting the mindset that says education is an obligation of the Government to its citizens, to one that says education could become a viable export industry for the Caribbean in a world that produces and richly reward knowledge.
“We have come a far way. But how do we make the next leap? How do we shift the mindset? We have to first of all recognise that there are issues that are women’s issues but women’s issues are not confined just to getting higher pay or greater rights. Women, because they are such an important part of our society, have to be concerned and have to play a very important role in all of society,” he had said.

Human Services Minister, Priya Manickchand, on Friday, staunchly defended Government’s investment of $15 million to host the exposition.
“Feminition has been conceived as another intervention in the empowerment of women. It is intended to recognise, highlight and promote skills, talent, capacities and capabilities of Guyana’s women. I expect that this exposition shall inspire women who exhibit, as well as women who visit the exposition, to greater heights by encouraging women to take up their place in society as equals, by allowing the necessary networking in groups and services and by educating about rights and available services,” she said.
Minister Manickchand said gender equality would not just benefit women, but also men and children, and that all will develop at a much faster pace.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/05/31/feminition-celebrating-the-achievements-of-guyanese-women

The issue of women’s rights and their general welfare in recent years have gathered momentum in almost every society and rightly so because for too long women across the globe have been viciously exploited, abused and treated virtually as slaves. And this has been happening for centuries and even during this so called modern civilisation.
One of the earliest passionate proponents of women’s rights and equality was the leader of the Bolshevik revolution, V.I. Lenin. One may disagree with his political ideology but his vision and profound thoughts on many socio-economic issues are still relevant today and women’s rights, equality and the role of women in development are certainly among them.

He had always stressed that the emancipation of any society has to be measured by the level of emancipation of women within that society.
He declared: “Women’s incipient social life and activities must be promoted, so that they can outgrow the narrowness of their philistine, individualistic psychology centred on home and family … In the sphere of sexual relations and marriage, a revolution is approaching … There can be no real mass movement without the women.”
On the occasion of International Women’s Day he said: “The working woman and the peasant woman are oppressed by capital, but over and above that, even in the most democratic of the bourgeois republics, they remain, firstly, deprived of some rights because the law does not give them equality with men; and secondly – and this is the main thing – they remain in “household bondage”, they continue to be “household slaves”, for they are overburdened with the drudgery of the most squalid, backbreaking and stultifying toil in the kitchen and the family household.” V.I.Lenin, March 4, 1921.

These exhortations were made way back in the early 21st century but as has been acknowledged by nearly every government, social and international organisation the injustices and exploitation being faced by women are yet to be comprehensively addressed and resolved.
Earlier this month,senior United Nations officials at a round-table discussion, stressed the need to promote the participation of women in decision-making, noting that democracy and gender equality are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.

“While women’s political participation improves democracy, the reverse is also true: democracy is an incubator for gender equality,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said in his remarks at a roundtable held at UN Headquarters on gender equality and democracy.
He told participants at the event, which included representatives from various UN departments and entities, as well as the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance that one needs to look no further than the daily headlines to see the timeliness of today’s gathering.
Noting that gender inequality in decision-making remains a great impediment to democracy, the Secretary-General said more must be done to address the gender gap in democratic participation.
“Certainly there has been important progress. More women, in more countries, are taking their place in parliament,” he stated.
“Yet fewer than 10 per cent of countries have female heads of state or government. Fewer than 30 countries have reached the target of 30 per cent women in national parliaments.”
The UN Secretary General has indeed put it succinctly and it is very clear that much more has to be done to ensure that women not only play their traditional roles but they are integrally involved in the decision-making and developmental processes

Here in Guyana herculean efforts are being made to overcome centuries of prejudice, exploitation and abuse of women. Herculean efforts are necessary because in the not too distant past very little was done to address this deep- seated ill in our society which has become even more complicated because of the current dynamics.
In this regard, those who have been responsible for the successful hosting of the most innovative female exposition “Feminition,” must be applauded and congratulated for successfully staging this wonderful extravaganza.

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/05/30/promoting-womens-rights-and-equality

The reason was soon revealed after a visit to some of these booths. In an industry where the creation of products and services is home rather than factory based, the manufacturers often have a harder time finding a platform for their products. Thus the first of its kind, an exhibition, to promote the work of skillful women, proved to be ideal.

Note that these cottage industries produce products that are distinctive because they are usually not mass-produced.

For example, coming all the way from Linden, Ms. Sherry James was there with her chopped up, seasoned packages of both meat and veggies, ready for use. Marketed under the brand “Just Rite”, James offerings included seasoned or curried pork, chicken or fish and other meats, as well as packaged bora, celery and boulangers. The produce came from James own farm from the West Watooka Farming Area. The products were well presented, packaged in Styrofoam trays, covered in cellophane wrap and labeled.

Another exhibitor, Monaselle Allen, was holding her own with her bottled preserves and seasonings. She has hopes of bringing exposure to her products and expanding. Among the products on her table – pepper, green seasoning, achar and cassereep.

Designer Natasha Davis, who we may remember for her outstanding work last Mashramani, was present at Feminition with a fabulous showcase of customized dolls, which included dolls in Indian wear, dolls in kemars, dolls in national costumes, wedding dresses  and a variety of other beautiful costumes.

Showcasing beautiful craft, Ruth Shuman occupied a sizable spread with her practical works of art which included baskets, jewelry boxes, kitchen utensils and more.

Also available was a wide array of services, in the area of banking, health, education and beauty.
As the exhibition continued, there were live makeovers sessions, body massages and several HIV Counselling and Testing sites.
The health village highlighted women’s health and one display featured silicone models of breasts and testicles that made the instruction sessions more interesting.

Last night, the curtain came down on Feminition with a fashion show featuring Guyana’s top designers – Sonia Noel, Carol Fraser, Derek Moore, Keisha Edwards, Randy Madray and others, including surprise guests.

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/05/30/feminition-offers-exposure-to-small-manufacturers

Govt values the efforts of women…and is toiling to make life better for them, says President Jagdeo

President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday declared open Feminition Exposition at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, and urged both women and men not only to recognise the gains that women in Guyana have made, but also to undertake to seriously address shortcomings that inhibit women from fully contributing to national development. Delivering the feature address at what is being billed as the first ever women’s exposition, the president said government has valued the efforts of women and is toiling to make life better for them.

“Women are not naturally risk averse,” he said. “They take the greatest risk in life when they give birth to children,” he said, to a loud round of applause from an appreciative crowd. “So, if more women have opportunities to access financing, then they would also develop the risk-taking type of behaviour; but I think, in more measured ways than men, that would lead to wealth creation and prosperity in our society,” the president said.
“I think that societies that value womanhood are societies that are rich, and we in Guyana value womanhood,” he said.

To those who questioned the wisdom behind the concept of Feminition, he said this exposition has a specific purpose; and that has not only to do with recognising the progress that women have made in Guyana, “but also to help to create a mindset that we need a quantum leap forward in how we approach women’s issues.”
He said that there must be a shift in mindset that says education is an obligation of the government to its citizens, to one that says education could become a viable export industry for the Caribbean in a world that produces and richly rewards knowledge.

“But it means that governments must make that shift in its heads and in their planning policy. If they do that, then they will give the same kinds of concessions that they give to tourism and agriculture to the export industry of education. This exposition could serve that purpose,” he said.

He said Guyana has made advances here. “Our girls are doing better in the education system than boys. More and more women are rising to positions of power. More and more of them are earning equal pay with men. There is a stronger focus on women’s rights, reproductive rights. In this country, women have that. In other countries, they do not have it. There is no institutionalised discrimination against women. There are many laws that have been passed, many programmes put in place to better the lot of women,” the president said.
“We have come a far way. But how do we make the next leap? How do we shift the mindset? Can we do it with this exposition here? Or would it be just another exposition where people see the talents of women, they recognise the role of women in very important national tasks…[such as] in freeing our country from colonisation and in bringing back freedom and democracy in our countr, and the role women played and continue to play in developmental issues,” the President said.

“We have to first of all recognise that there are issues that are women’s issues, but women’s issues are not confined just to getting higher pay or greater rights. Women, because they are such an important part of our society, have to be concerned and have to play a very important role in all of society,” he said.
The president stressed that while some issues may be defined as men’s issues or other issues, they negatively affect women in some way. One of these he said, is housing, while another is the provision of water. “You know the hardships if you do not have a home, it places a disproportionate burden on the women. Secondly, water may seem not a woman’s issue, but the people spending most of their time in the home, they have to spend disproportionate amounts of time securing water supplies for the family,” he said.

“If we want a better society, the mother, have to be concerned with what is happening to our sons, why we are losing many of them to drug dealers and criminals, and why many of them are dropping out of school  [at young age] and why they are not performing as well as the girls. Women have to be concerned about that just as men should be concerned about women’s issues too,” he said.
“This is not about competition between women and men. It is about respecting each other, respecting motherhood and the special role that women play in our society,” he said.

“Our prosperity will be determined by how many women we bring into the labour force and how many more are educated in Guyana,” he said. “We need more unconditional love. Men [are not like that],” he said. “We will continue to expand opportunities for women by creating programmes that are dedicated to unleash their latent entrepreneurial talent, and I believe it is latent, but just as important, as vibrant and viable as entrepreneurial talent in men,” he said.

“We have to ensure that there are no glass ceilings to women entrepreneurs, that they are seen as agents for import substitution type of activities, go wherever they want and own the biggest companies in the society,” he said. At this point, he lashed out at the leadership of the private sector in Guyana and said that these bodies would do well to emulate the standards set in terms of women’s representation in all branches of government.
Near the end of his presentation, the president called on women to take an active role in fighting alcoholism and tobacco use and other substances. “Often they are the victims of the use of these substances,” he said.

Speaking before the president, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand said, “We see an increasing number of women assuming leadership roles in both the private and public sector. We see more women speaking out on domestic violence and exiting violent relationships.” She said the State has a duty to establish a society where equality could prevail and the benefits thereof enjoyed by all. She said that the Government of Guyana is committed to doing this.
The minister outlined many of the initiatives that her Government has taken to make the lives of women freer in Guyana.

Touching on the $500M Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry-backed Women of Worth (WOW) programme, the Minister said close to 1,000 women have already received loans amounting to about $167M under the scheme in less than one year of operation, and she is hoping that about 5,000 more women benefit from it.
At the end of the formal opening ceremony and cultural presentation, the president took time to interact with many persons in attendance and visited the various avenues. The exposition continues today and ends tomorrow.

PULL QUOTE
“I think that societies that value womanhood are societies that are rich, and we in Guyana value womanhood.”

This is not about competition between women and men. It is about respecting each other, respecting motherhood and the special role that women play in our society.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/05/28/as-feminition-gets-under-way