The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) said that it is time to end the violence of mal-development and deprivation that have diminished women’s roles in decision making fora.
In a message to mark International Women’s Day, observed on Friday, the umbrella trades union body called on leaders to set examples in promoting women’s rights and dignity and said leaders should be held accountable for such failures.
Focusing on this year’s theme ‘A promise is a promise: Time for Action to end Violence’, the GTUC said the theme resonates in Guyana given the numerous high profile gruesome cases of domestic violence leading to death and disfigurement of women covered by the media. It stated that for every case that makes the headlines there are countless other women who are victims of abuse. It added that violence against women in Guyana is not only domestic, but it is social, economic and political.
The umbrella body said that the culture of violence in the society must be rejected by all.
The GTUC pointed out that women are the bedrock of society and that their human rights should be respected. The rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognise “inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.
The GTUC said the Constitution of Guyana enshrines the rights of Guyanese women.
It stated too that the violence of suicide resulting from individuals’ inability to cope effectively with pressures also needs to be urgently addressed.
