The women of Linden were last week decked in green, some with the APNU campaign T-shirts, others with semi-casual wear, hairstyles of various shades of green, and scarves to complete their outfit, giving a clear indication that it was A Party for National Unity (APNU) activity in session in the conference room of the Linden Business Centre/Linden Enterprise Network (LEN).
It was the occasion of the APNU women’s forum which saw the wife of APNU’s presidential candidate and first lady hopeful Sandra Granger making her début public appearance in the mining town.
She was accompanied by former PNCR MP and first female chairman of the GYSM Lurlene Nestor and former MP and chairman of the National Congress of Women Cheryl Sampson.
For the women it was a moment for ‘girl talk’ political style but according to Granger she wasn’t as seasoned a campaigner as Nestor and Sampson. Leading her discourse she told the women that she had prepared her speech being fully aware of the challenges women of Linden face on a daily basis and how they have to come together to overcome those challenges.
“One of the things that strikes me is what I see as a breakdown in our society and the weakness we see in our families as a result of this breakdown,” she said, adding that the burdens of those challenges always fall on the womenfolk in the family.
She said that because of the fact that in another decade people would be living beyond the age of 60 years, it means that women would have to be caring for people for a longer time considering that they are the ones providing the majority of care for the elderly.
The issue of gender based violence was also discussed. “It’s not enough to pass the laws, it’s to implement them,” and this statement was met with a loud round of applause by the audience.
Another issue was the migration of children and spouses. The participants were also challenged to pay attention to their health and to look at the type of friendships they got involved in.
They were also urged to seek to be educated and to look for community-based solutions to most of the challenges they face. Granger recommended that they make full use of the elderly in seeking to educate and mentor the youths in the society.
Chairperson of the afternoon’s programme Valarie Sharpe-Adams was very emotional when speaking of the plight of women and the elderly in Linden and surrounding communities. She said that for a number of years through the regional welfare unit they have been lobbying for a home to house abused women and children to no avail.
According to Sharpe-Adams when the proposal was put forward to government authorities it was rejected on the grounds that no other region other than Georgetown had a home of that nature.
She said that having learnt of plans to construct a new building to house the Linden Magistrate’s Court, a proposal was made to the RDC that housed the court at that time for the home.
“One week after we got that deal sealed I was awakened by a phone call to say that the court house was on fire, we always ran into some disappointment. But it is said that when one is taken from you better is coming.”
The Linden Dorfolk Home was the other issue discussed at the forum and the women all agreed that the Retrieve, Mackenzie-based structure should be rehabilitated.
They also called for its management to be restructured and the facility made habitable in order to provide a comfortable home for senior citizens, many of whom are left to care for themselves and lack the companionship of their peers.
