Ah weh D2 deh???????

While it is true that government public expenditure has been increasing throughout the years, the demand for the services offered is insatiable. Today, Guyana’s economy has consistently been evolving to record significant achievement which serves to propel the nation’s development and to ensure an enhanced standard of living for disenfranchised women in Guyana.

The role of women in our society has changed significantly in the past three decades. Women and girls have many more opportunities and face different challenges. The playing field is not level, but neither is gender bias as institutionalized as it once was.

Women who have achieved great stature in government, industry, sports, and the media have become a familiar sight, yet it appears that there is no clear public understanding of the realities of women’s and girls’ lives in this country.

The National Budget 2012 present by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh addresses the concerns, challenges and needs of women, the government has purpose the expansion its Single Parent Assistance Programme to include Regions One and Seven where over 3000 single mothers and women would be the beneficiaries of such a social initiative that recognizes the pivotal role of women in Guyanese society.

This extended investment into the lives of Guyanese women is intended on providing training to 2,000 women in areas such as small business management, basic accounting, and self-improvement mainly to improve their capabilities and to afford them the opportunities to be able to source markets for production.  In addition, under the Women of Worth programme, hundreds of single mothers accessed loans for investment in small businesses.

Moreover, the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute has continued its work on empowering over 230 women through several capacity building programmes offered at the institute, including life skills and, for the first time, information technology. Also, the Single Parent programme under the Board of Industrial Training trained 423 parents in cosmetology, computer repairs, and electrical installation.

Such government initiative is a result of Guyana’s economic well being and provides the platform for the expansion of this social welfare to broaden the scope of its services, increasing the network of single parent and women all across Guyana.

http:www.youtube.com/watch?=IZtH3c7UeZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZtH3c7UeZE

It is quite stupid to call an organization women of worth. All women are of worth as a natural base consensus in  forward thinking societies.

Women as care givers are backbone of society

…says Human Services Minister -WOW programme to hit hinterland, strong stand against domestic violence THE Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security is mandated by government to provide support mechanisms for citizens, inclusive of seniors, the disadvantaged, differently abled, women and children. A section of women present at WOW launch in Berbice Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Jennifer Webster, on a recent programme aired on the National Communications Network, titled “Minister’s Forum’, said that women are the backbone of any society. “They are care-givers who give of their best in many circumstances…the time has come where we need to empower them as the efforts being made are not enough,” Minister Webster said. The Human Services Minister said that if one is to compare what existed in the 1960s to present day, a lot has been done to ensure that the rights of women are respected and support can be readily accessed by them. “There was a single-parent registry which was compiled in 2009…there are programmes which provide training skills to women, so that they can further improve themselves and be able to generate income…there is the Women Of Worth (WOW) programme which was introduced in collaboration with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, where women can access small loans, up to $150,000, to undertake small micro credit projects and other business ventures,” Minister Webster said.

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– as women are regaled at Phenomenal Woman 2 As the lights dimmed and faded, the Theatre Guild players, all in white, emerged to honour the work of Guyanese women in this year’s Phenomenal Woman 2, a production comprising songs, dances and poetry recitals aimed at acknowledging and appreciating the struggles and achievements of women. Women gathered at the Theatre Guild Playhouse for the presentation of Phenomenal Woman 2 This is the second such activity held to celebrate International Women’s Day and is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Theatre Guild of Guyana. The T.G. Playhouse was filled to capacity last Friday evening, and the show was appreciated by all, both young and old. They were serenaded with songs such as ‘Die With My Dignity’ by Singing Sandra, ‘She’s Royal’ by Taurus Riley, ‘I’m Every Woman’ by Chaka Khan, and Roll It by Allison Hinds. Some of the poems included ‘Phenomenal Woman’ and ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou, and ‘Lady Hope’ by Lloyda Garrett.

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Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster A new location for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is being touted by Minister Jennifer Webster.  Her disclosure comes in the wake of recent reports published by this newspaper highlighting that sections of the Water and Cornhill Streets, Stabroek, Georgetown facility are in a deplorable state, which is not conducive for the nature of the work undertaken by her Ministry. The Minister in an invited comment revealed that her office is not excluded from the deplorable condition that currently exists. In light of the challenging situation, Minister Webster said that “this matter is currently engaging my attention and this was even before the issue was raised in the newspaper.” Among the concerns of the Minister, who assumed office just about three months ago, is the area in which the building, which houses 527 staff members, is located.  “I think, first of all, the location is bad for the kind of work and services, such as counseling, that we provide at the Ministry…You have the market and there is always noise and a lot of work for the social services people. People are coming in to be counseled and they can’t concentrate with that level of noise…If one was to come down there you would hear the boom, boom boxes at 10 in the morning.”

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In honour of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security partnered with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation in a Health Walk this morning beginning at 07:00hrs from Parliament Buildings and culminating at the Umana Yana. Participants of the health walk assembled in front of Parliament buildings The paticipants walked  from outside Parliament Buildings, up Brickdam, then into Camp Street, along Church Street, into Vlisssengen Road, turning into Carifesta Avenue before ending at the  Umana Yana, Kingston. There they were briefly addressed by the officials. First Lady  Ramotar extolling women's role as the “primary care givers” in society called for the end to “the poverty of spirit, hunger of affection and control of one's lives” that is being experienced by women in abusive relationships.

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In Guyana, as we celebrate International Women’s Day of 2012, we should recognize the progress made towards securing gender equity and empowerment over the years. Our country has a rich and gender-progressive history dating back to the struggles against exploitation in the colonial era and continuing today in sustained efforts for women’s equality and rights on the legislative, political, social and economic fronts.
We can see the results of our cumulative efforts today. Guyana has a strong and robust legislative and policy framework for the protection of women. This includes our national Constitution which enshrines the rights of women, several international treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and national legislation, for example the Equal Rights Act of 1990, and more recently, progressive pieces in the areas of domestic violence and sexual offences. The country also benefits from a set of institutional arrangements designed to advance the gender agenda, including the Women’s Affairs Bureau which was established in 1981 and a number of non-governmental women’s organizations. The recently established Constitutional Commission on Women and Gender Equality is another positive step which when strengthened will ensure that women’s issues are represented and addressed at the highest levels.