Eight hundred and fifty women who participated in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s (MoHSSS), Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) Programme were the special guests at a graduation ceremony on Saturday to celebrate their achievement.
A new training hall was also unveiled at the special ceremony.
A release from MoHSSS stated that the graduation ceremony was held at the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI), at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara.
The release stated that of the 850 who graduated, 250 were from Region Five and 600 from Region Four. Malica Rajkumar, a 26-year-old teacher who was trained under the child care programme, said, “I did a face-to-face training and it was very fun, the lecturer was very jovial. I want to thank her and the Ministry of Human Services. With the knowledge I would have gained I will put into practice with my family and also my job.”
Chandrowti Jagdeo-Behari said, “I came into contact with the programme via social media and I did two courses. I am happy I did it because it will help me in my profession since I am a nurse in training.”
In addition, the Senior Training Officer, Sanjay Pooran said, “This new space which Minister has termed the ‘Empowerment space’ will help us help women and girls really transition from a state of dependency to economic freedom. The WIIN programme will facilitate technical and vocational training which opens the door in the areas of employment, micro-enterprise development and even elevations in their careers. This space creates the right environment to enable a safe, free and modern form of learning.”
At the GWLI, a new training hall was also unveiled on Saturday where a Girls Empowerment Day was also being held. According to the release, the training hall has been aiding women and girls to attain gender equality while simultaneously providing training, support and assistance to become economically empowered since 1997. The building was in a state of disrepair for a long time. However, when Minister of MoHSSS, Dr. Vindhya Persaud assumed office in 2020, a comprehensive review of the mandate of GWLI was taken, leading to a massive rehabilitation project. The ministry said that a complete renovation of the hall and administrative block was conducted to give it modern equipment, air conditioning and new furniture. A new computer lab is also housed there.
Persaud, who gave a brief tour of the place, said, “Our focus is on the empowerment of girls and women and a big part of this drive is to create an enabling environment, equipped with all the resources they need to achieve success. All the services are accessible and free. The response has been overwhelming and we are amplifying our efforts this year. I warmly congratulate the women and girls and commit to sustainable support.”
The Ministry added that the first ever Girls Empowerment Day, is a partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) under the Spotlight Initiative aimed to promote a sense of self-worth.
