Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee, at last weekend’s International Women’s Day Concert and Expo, commended Guyana on its move toward gender parity, and hailed the country as a leader in the region as it relates to gender equality and women’s rights.
“Canada’s foreign policy puts women and men at the heart of its efforts and we’re so pleased to work towards a more balanced world with partners like Guyana. Guyana has a tradition of being a leader in the Region when it comes to gender equality and women’s rights. The principle of equality and non-discrimination is enshrined in Guyana’s Constitution and throughout the years, Guyana has been at the forefront of the Region in passing progressive legislation that safeguards women’s rights,” Chatterjee stated.
A release from the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that Chaterjee, on Sunday delivered remarks at the event, a collaboration between the Canadian High Commission and the Ministry of Social Protection. The concert and expo were held at the Everest Sports Ground.
Also delivering remarks were First Lady Sandra Granger, who urged citizens to speak out against violence of any kind, as they “balance for better” in an attempt to achieve gender equality.
“Let us as we `Balance for Better’ ensure that we speak up and speak out against violence of any kind, not just for one day but every single day and wherever and whenever it occurs. This must happen in our families, our communities, our regions and at every level across the nation,” the First Lady stated.
“If women were equal partners in the home, the statistics on domestic violence in Guyana would not demonstrate that women are disproportionately the victims of such violence,” she advised.
DPI noted that Mrs. Granger also addressed the population of youth at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, reporting that persons can now access testing and treatment at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat. “Data indicates that globally, young women 14-24 years old are twice as likely to contract HIV as young men in the same cohort,” she informed.
She also said that Guyana celebrates “the implementation of policies which ensure that health services are available to adolescents and out of school youth and that teenage mothers can receive counselling, services and advice on sexual and reproductive health.”
