Interviews and photos by Kenesha Fraser
Having just observed International Women’s Day on Saturday last, we took the opportunity this week to ask some women along the Essequibo Coast whether they felt enough was being done to promote gender equality.
Their comments follow:
Emawattie Mohan, businesswoman – ‘Enough is not being done for women’s rights because every day women are being raped, beaten and abused. More women’s groups should be formed and women should get together and try to be independent and they must learn not to depend on men. Women should strive to educate and improve themselves. Most women in today’s society like being independent but some men don’t like that but I strongly believe that women should be able to go out and gain exposure.’
Nadia Seeram, Community Drainage and Irrigation Programme Supervisor – ‘I’m going to say that 95 per cent of the women in society today are being treated well and their lives have been changed. In times gone by, there was never the chance of a woman being in parliament and they were not allowed to attend forums and so on. Great improvements have been made since the women are showing their true colours. They are now being educated and given the opportunity to shine.’
Roselyn Thompson, Region-al Democratic Councillor – ‘Enough is not being done for women’s rights because women are still going through some things in different communities. We still have a lot of abuse and domestic violence. When young women drop out of school, the men in our society take advantage on them and this is definitely not right. I believe that if improvement is to come, the men should become involved. You see, the women have their rights and the men are feeling left out because no special provision is made for them. In the same way there are programmes for women, programmes for men should be initiated.’
Shanta Springer, Central Committee Member of the Women’s Progressive Organisation – ‘From the days gone by to now, women are being represented 95 per cent more than before. In times before, women were struggling a lot and since the PPP government has been in power, the fight for equal rights for women has been successful. You can now find that women are occupying ministries and they are holding posts in parliament and you find they are in the top brackets and they are being recognised. I believe there has been significant improvements making the lives of women better but some other things can still be done. We need awareness programmes and women should be more educated to know and stand up for their rights in order to stop being threatened by men.’
Madavi Persaud, nurse – ‘Enough is not being done for women’s rights because first and foremost, we need competent and reliable persons to listen, assess and deal with women’s rights. The law is still being sympathetic with men who abuse and victimise women. More penalties must be instilled. We also need to give women the opportunity to be in leadership positions in organisations, not only the men. We have a lot of prolific women who can make meaningful contributions to society.’
Indrawattie Reema Natram, Chief Liaison Officer One Laptop Per Family programme – ‘I think women are being represented more in today’s society as compared to the primitive years. Women today are exposed to many opportunities in governmental offices and organisations and they are being listened to in a more valid way. Women have dominated both governmental and private offices thereby contributing towards the development of the particular entities. More women are trained in health, social work and also in the political arena where they themselves act as advocates in helping other troubled women. Many projects have also been implemented by the government through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to help assist women in changing their lives. All this is being done just to help improve the lives of women but this cannot be appropriate if women themselves do not stand up for their rights.’
Lavern Prince, housewife – ‘There is still a lot of domestic violence in society today. When women are physically abused and you go to the police, you get either little or no help and I can’t help but wonder why this is so. The government should put more rules and laws in place and they should offer unlimited protection to the women. Another point is that the women should be educated about abuse and about what they should do. Most times, a woman will be beaten by her partner and when he is taken before the court, she will become sympathetic and beg the magistrate or judge to dismiss the case against him. More workshops and trainings should be held to encourage women to be strong and come out of abusive relationships.’
Beatrice Parks-Mittelholzer, community service worker – ‘A number of things have been done by the PPP government with regard to women’s rights but they are still some improvements that can be made. Women should be more educated. I see that the majority of women in some areas are not interested in being exposed and when this happens, women will not know how to represent themselves in many situations and issues and this is the downfall for women. Women need to be sensitized in all areas and I would like to mention that each woman should be involved in a religious organisation because knowing about God is essential. I personally feel that as older women, we can do so much to help the younger generation.’
Maureen Clarke, senior finance clerk, Anna Regina Town Council – ‘I can strongly say that enough is not being done for women’s rights in society today. I believe that if a man and woman cannot get along because they are having marital problems or whatever the case might be, they should go their separate ways and part peacefully without violence becoming involved. Enough is not being done by the government to protect our women. Harsher penalties should be implemented to stop men from being abusive. When women are abused, their emotions are shattered and this should not be so. Our women should be protected and cherished.
Chenobie Jupiter, businesswoman – ‘There are governmental and non-government organizations that aid in the support of women’s rights and I believe that enough is being done but improvements can be made. As the Women’s Ministry leader for the Charity Seventh-Day Adventist Church, I believe women should know their roles in society and desire to get involved so that they can be empowered. This will enable them to transmit positive values to their young daughters and other women in society. Today, we are plagued with domestic violence, women are being brutally murdered by their spouses. Mom dead, dad in jail. We are living in a critical time where many children are left without parental guidance. Organisations need to look out for children because they are our future. My encouragement to women is to get educated and empowered. Let’s break the cycle.’
