Dear Editor,
The new Ethnic Relations Commission has been sworn in. The National Assembly presumably had to create a series of formulae and methodologies to come up with the new Commissioners. In 2023 Guyana, it is still possible that the National Assembly – the PPP and PNC – see nothing wrong in creating systems which result in a Constitutional body which presents as mostly male. Is this part of the Dubai-ificiation of Guyana – to reduce the participation of public life? 2023 and the PPP and the PNC and the bodies who participated in the creation of the Ethnic Relations Commission see nothing wrong with 9 men and 1 woman on a constitutional body? (And no, that there is Women and Gender Equality Commission, or Rights of the Child Commisison, which might have mostly women is not the issue here)
On the day the 9 male 1 woman Ethnic Relations Commission was announced, Stabroek News printed Andaiye’s address to a group of women in 2003, written after the recent condemnations and support for racial comments made publicly. Andaiye’s address concluded, “Could we try from today, the next time we hear, if we are African-Guyanese, the next time we hear that something happened to people in Annandale, could we try next time to show some solidarity, especially with the women of Annandale, instead of behaving as if it serve them right. Could we try from today, if we are Indian Guyanese, the next time African-Guyanese are hurt, not simply to say, it serve them right. It may serve a few people of either race right. It could never serve all Guyanese.”
These sentiments have not been reflected by the mostly men who have been condemning or not condemning the recent racial comments. Maybe the 9 men in the ERC would read Andaiye’s call to her Sisters and use their majority to find ways to insist of inclusion of women in their work.
Sincerely,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
