DEAR EDITOR,

Guyana has now celebrated 45 years of independence, a celebration for all patriotic Guyanese, as the accomplishments and developments are applauded and visions and plans for the future, so vividly outlined in the President’s address to the nation, are embraced by those with lifelong dreams and optimism of a new and better tomorrow.

A tomorrow when the serious implementations of the law can be enacted with more professionalism, dedication and commitment – a much desired and determined approach that will help to put a brake on the domestic violence issue that has escalated to frightening heights; protection for young children from sex predators, in and out of the home; professional care to halt maternal deaths and give these young mothers a chance to live and not condemn their bodies to the cold earth – life is priceless.
If these hopes are not realised in the very near future, then life for women in this country will continue to be not of great worth, brutally interrupted, dreams shattered.

The unending brutal murders of women by their spouses, sexual abuse of children and young girls and maternal deaths are solid proof of how ‘shallow’ legal protection and care in this country are for women.
The President’s speech at the Feminition Exposition that lauded women’s achievements, their successes from hard work and determination; that highlights their immeasurable worth and valued contributions in the home, business, education and the careers and vocations they embark on, was truly appreciated and welcomed.
But tell me, how many women will succeed and how many will fail as the abuse, the harassment, the disdain and violence continue to unfold in their lives, in the home, on the streets, at work, in school?
The roles played by the law, society, church and educators to arrest this grave problem, has left much to be desired. For everything they plan to achieve in the future, it is supposed to be for the men and women of this country, is it not?

But, how many women and girls will survive the abuse and be given a chance to live, to develop, to strive towards their goals and ambitions where there is no harassment, no tears and pain, that they too can celebrate a country’s success?

It’s sad and disturbing that law enforcers, seem not to see that need to act decisively and with true purpose in cases of abuse, as though it’s an accepted norm in everyday life for a woman to be beaten and brutalized by her partner.
Perpetrators in rape and incest cases are not always brought to justice or penalized for their crimes, sending a potentially dangerous message to society. The minds of the young are so scarred.
They can make so many valuable contributions to life, but when they should have been given love, care and support; their young, helpless bodies were ravaged, and stolen from them was that precious sense of worth.
What great future is this nation striving for?

It’s not only a sad situation, it’s a horrifying situation and as the clock ticks, the female population continues to decrease.

How effective the ‘dependence’ of the law would be in protection and care is left to be seen as chances are affected in the days of the lives of women of this country.

Maureen Singh

Women with Power (WWP) organization was one of the many that benefited from the recently concluded Feminition exhibition.

Lauding the initiative was Ediclia Bastardo de Persaud, Principal of the Venezuela Institute of Culture and Cooperation (IVCC) at 106 New Garden Street, Georgetown, where the organization is based. She said in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, “I loved Feminition. I am very satisfied; it was a good step for women’s development. I am excited about Feminition”. 

Her husband, Kawal Persaud, an administrator at the IVCC, also expressed satisfaction as he noted that the exhibition provided exposure for the women’s produce. He posits that the next time around, the event be hosted in different regions, so as to better accommodate women from around the country.
The booths occupied by the Venezuelans and the WWP displayed a wide variety of tempting Guyanese and Venezuelan dishes and craft, such as sewing, tibisiri work and dolls produced at the institute.
Women with Power was the brainchild of the couple who were involved in community work in Venezuela, and they began to reach out to women through their students.

The compassionate pair encouraged students to invite their female relatives to come together at the institute.
One woman had special skills in tie-dying. The woman, Asha James-Forde, began to teach the institute’s first tie-dying class. Other women began to come forward and share their skills, and the batch of graduates, numbering 18, came together to form Women with Power (Mujeres con Poder) and share their skills throughout the country.
The first of its kind in Guyana, Feminition showcased the work of skillful women who work in the commercial, industrial and domestic fraternities, and provided a wide array of services, including arts and craft, health consultations, seminars and training in various areas, entrepreneurship and business advice, local fashion and beauty care.

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/06/03/women-with-power-lauds-feminition-expo

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.”

Dancers in action during the cultural presentation at ‘Feminition’

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: http://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

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