Dear Editor,
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the 19th century; however, since the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring March 8 IWD it has been observed globally, and in some countries it is a national holiday.
In 1975 the United Nations declared that year as International Women’s Year; it was a year that brought heightened awareness for women’s issues and helped them to gain recognition as there was an effort to seek out women who had achieved and excelled over the years. A number of conferences both local and international were held, resulting in a number of new initiatives and actions. There were Four world Conferences: Mexico, 1975 produced ‘A plan of Action’; 1980, Copenhagen, ‘Equality, Development and Peace’; and 1985 Nairobi, Kenya, resulted in the ‘Forward Looking Strategies to the year 2000. This was followed by the fourth world conference in Beijing, 1995China, where a ‘Plan of Action’ with 12 Critical Areas emerged. There were post-Beijing conferences to review and appraise efforts made by governments, the supporting roles of the United Nations agencies and other international bodies.
IWD is therefore an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world; it is the story of ordinary women as makers of history. It is rooted in the centuries old struggle of women. International Women’s Day therefore is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women’s rights. Whe should reflect that prior to this activism women could not remain in the civil service when they got married or gave birth to children.
This year’s theme ‘Be Bold for Change’ is perhaps late, but timely, since we can reflect on the past and bring to bear the future of women’s advancement. We need to continue the work started by our unsung heroes of the past, those women who fought the good fight so that we women can now be counted. Women were able to exercise their franchise, they were able to remain in the public service after marriage, they became city council members and entered the Legislative Assembly, they became ministers of government, mayors of the city and business owners, doctors, attorneys, magistrates, judges and trade unionists, among so many other things.
While the teaching profession has always attracted women because of their caring and nurturing role, women now manage the banking and financial sectors efficiently, they are in the Marine section, religion and other areas once dominated by men. Our women have shattered the so called glass ceiling and need to be acknowledged today. So hooray to the women of the world and to our own Guyanese women who have blazed the trail enabling us to be here. Let us continue to be bold so as to foster the change we so need.
Efforts by the state to ensure women’s participation in all areas of life, works well with the theme ‘Be Bold for Change’. Just a few days ago we welcomed the news that two women were appointed to act as the apex of the judiciary, and we pray that this will move from the status of acting to permanent.
Today I wish to call to mind a few women who made a difference in the lives of many:
- Viola Victorine Burnham who was not only a First Lady but served as a Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister; she was unique and promoted programmes that brought women’s independence, some of which were female drivers, Vanceram and others. She blazed a trail in the 1980s and beyond
- Desiree Bernard was the first female High Court judge and later served as Chief Justice and Chancellor and was subsequently appointed to the Caribbean Court of Justice. She also served at the United Nations chairing the Committee on all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
- Shirley Field-Ridley who was a notable attorney who gave advice and guidance on the Venezuela-Guyana controversy. She was the first Guyanese to serve on the CEDAW Committee, and after her death Desiree Bernard replaced her on the committee.
- Janet Jagan First Lady and first of three women to enter the Parliament of British Guiana; she was a Minister of Government and later became President of the Republic of Guyana.
Let us now applaud the work of our present First Lady Ms Sandra Granger and Ms Sita Nagamootoo who are providing support services to the work of their husbands as well as in nation building and their own special areas. There are too the female ministers of government Volda Lawrence, Amna Ally, Catherine Hughes, Karen Cummings, Valerie Courida-Lowe, Nicolette Henry, Simona Broomes, Annette Ferguson, Dawn Hastings, Valerie Adams and all the female MPs. In addition there are the Mayor of the City of Georgetown, Ms Patrica Chase-Green, Ms Genevive Allen Regional Chairperson, all the female members of the city council, the Regional Democratic Councils and NDCs. We should also not forget Ms Mavis Benn, past Mayor of Georgetown.
There are the women in the legal profession past and present, such as Sheila Chapman-Wong, Claudette Singh, Dawn Gregory-Barnes, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Roxane George-Wiltshire and all the other female judges, attorneys and magistrates; not forgetting Gem Sanford-Johnson President of the Guyana Bar Association, Sadie Amin, President of the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers, Rosemary Benjamin-Noble, Emily Dodson, Jamela Alli, Josephine Whitehead and many more.
The health sector has changed as well. Let us remember young Claudette Harry (Derry) and all the other female medical practitioners; trade unionist Philomena Sahoye-Shury and all the other female trade unionists; our women in education: Una Paul, Daphne Persico, Prof Reynolds and Joycelyn Loncke, Paloma Mohamed and others. We should remember too women in agriculture like Elsie Croal, Ms Cunja and others, as well as those in the military and para-military forces and in the media.
Our women in the public service must not be forgotten; there are Lorene Baird, Permanent Secretary, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the other female Permanent Secretaries and deputies. Our list can go on, but we must remember our other females who have and are still making a significant contribution to support women’s work such as Madga Pollard, Vanda Radzik, Andaiye, Patrice La Fleur, Pamela Nauth, and many more like me still going.
Yours faithfully,
Hazel Halley-Burnett
Women’s Rights Activist,
President of Partners of America (Guyana Chapter)
Past President CARIWA