MEMBERS of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday chose to absent themselves from a programme organised by the Parliament of Guyana to honour women in observance of International Women’s Day, leaving other Members of Parliament (MPs) disappointed. Minister of Education  Priya Manickchand has called the move “dangerous”, emphasising that issues concerning women and children must never be politicised. 
She  declared  that she is deeply saddened by the fact that the APNU women did not turn up and, as it seems, deliberately boycotted an event to celebrate other women, and in particular  hardworking female parliamentary staff. 
“This is, for me, a most dangerous step in this fight for equality and all that will flow there for women. Why do I say that? Women must, and I say must, not should, always support other women. We must never, ever politicise issues that concern women and children,” she asserted.
The minister noted that in the present environment, it is going to require serious discipline by all women and particularly women MPs to stay true to an agenda for gender equality. 
She further affirmed, “We can’t be fighting against an entrenched system that treats women as less important and be fighting amongst ourselves at the same time.”     
According to Manickchand,  this  will stagnate progress as  the gender agenda can easily be derailed if women's issues were to be treated as just any other political issue. 
She advised that any issue addressing women must be treated   separately and specially, with all women uniting to enable better conditions for themselves and other women. 
“I have noticed a sad trend seeping in where some women are succumbing to the temptation to politicise issues that are specific to women. I have deliberately not responded to the instances I noted even though some of those had outright untruths, because I am afraid that by so responding I too will be guilty of harming the cause,” she lamented.
Nevertheless, she is urging all women MPs to review their actions and renew their conviction to do what is right for women  and  children  irrespective of what else is going on.
In the meantime,  Manickchand said  she is very happy that the Speaker was thoughtful enough to have this celebration for the women workers of parliament.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) MP, Dr. Vindhya Persaud also underscored  the party’s disappointment at the absence of  APNU, noting that persons should not let their political differences  “cloud people’s accomplishments.”
She said that while it was a great initiative that women are being celebrated, she was disappointed that a major political party would boycott such an event. She further pointed out that two of the four women being honoured, Ms. Gail Teixeira and Ms. Indra Chandarpal, were members of the PPP/C who are being honoured for long years of service.
“What transpired disturbed me because this is the era where we should be celebrating women and their accomplishments, especially when we’re observing International Women’s Day...that a major political party chose to absent itself and to boycott something like this and to say that they will not come out to support these women...” she stated.
Dr. Persaud added that this is a time when women are fighting to be heard, for their rights and for gender equality, noting that women have struggled, have achieved and are now changing the way the world thinks about them. 
“It doesn’t send a good message to me and I’m sure it doesn’t send a good message to Guyana that they would boycott something like this,” she asserted.
While she congratulated parliament, the speaker and the staff, for organising the event, she pointed out that the women will actually now be honoured at a later date which, according to her, is because of APNU’s boycotting of the event. She emphasised that it would have been more fitting for that to be done during yesterday’s programme.
“Though the women were presented their bouquets and all of that after the ceremony, I would have preferred that they would have been part of the ceremony as it was supposed to be initially. To me, doing this ‘back door’ kind of thing is a slap in the face of the accomplishments of these two women and the other women who were supposed to be honoured,” she lamented.
Dr. Persaud further related that she expected the members of APNU to display a higher level of political maturity and  she had hoped for  better from a party that says it wants the country to move ahead.
Meanwhile, PPP/C MP, Bibi Shaddick said that while she is not aware of any stated reasons for APNU’s absence, as a politician she is aware that the function was hosted by the Speaker of the National Assembly  Raphael Trotman and she is also aware that the members of that party are at present  very angry at the speaker’s ruling as it relates to Home Affairs Minister  Clement Rohee’s right to speak in parliament.
“It probably has to do with that, but that is for parliament, that’s for something else. That is not for this, this is something that has to do with women,” she stressed.
Shaddick added that  the APNU no-show was a “slap in the face of women of this country”, noting that former People’s National Congress (PNC) women parliamentarians were present.
“They’re all here because this is something that honours women and the work the women do. This is very disappointing...” she remarked, gesturing to the empty chairs and tables.
She further stated that the country needs to be told: “They (APNU) have no respect for the women of this country...one day to honour the work that you do and they can’t find themselves here.  I don’t know if the women of APNU don’t respect themselves but apparently it was a decision that was taken at some higher level.”
Speaker of the National Assembly  Raphael Trotman, in an invited comment, disclosed that while he heard “grumblings”, he did not receive any formal word that APNU would not be attending the event.
He noted that last year Ms. Amna Ally of APNU was honoured and she received full support. He further stated that he would hate to believe that APNU’s absence has to do with the fact that this year the two longest serving members, Ms. Teixeira and Ms. Chandarpal are from the PPP/C.
Trotman advised that the women will be honoured at the next sitting of the National Assembly, as was done on the last occasion.
“We did it in parliament, to get it written into the record of parliament, so at the next sitting we’ll do it formally,” he said.