Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no lather than 2015.
Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of woman has been an important goal of the United Nations and is a concern shared by Guyana. Goal 3 calls on countries to ensure that girls have equal access to education by 2015. In Guyana there is little gender disparity in schools but the same does not hold true when it comes to opportunities in economic, social and political life.
In recent years the number of economically active women has been increasing and they have contributed to a small rise in the total working population of Guyana. Nonetheless, two-thirds of working age women are classified as not engaged in any type of economic activity as compared to one-fifth of men. Many women, however, engage in home production, dress making, raising poultry and other activities, which make a significant contribution to household income.
Women in Guyana are being increasingly acknowledged in the work place and appointed in high positions. Guyana was the first country in the Caribbean to elect a female president and the number of women in Parliament has increased. One of the three Justices of Appeal is female, there are four female judges out of a total of nine and female magistrates account for nine of the existing 17 magistrates. There are now four female ministers, compared to two 10 years ago, but female ministers still only account for one-fifth of all ministers. The number of female permanent secretaries has also increased, but they are still largely under-represented, with their male counterparts accounting for more than two-thirds of the permanent secretaries.
Notwithstanding the progress reflected in the educational and political arenas, gender issues are only minimally integrated into policymaking. Negative stereotyping, prejudice and certain cultural practices in Guyana impede women’s careers and their rising to leadership positions. Continued domestic violence against women remains a critical issue.
What is being done to promote gender equality and empower women?
Mainstreaming the gender issue poses a difficult challenge requiring continuous monitoring and advocacy. Education is recognised as a powerful weapon against gender inequality and there are a number of measures underway toward mainstreaming gender in Guyana.
The National Machinery (Women’s Affairs Bureau) continues to engage in a number of activities aimed at advancing the status of women through networks including; public agencies, NGOs and Women Affairs Committees in each region. There is a commitment to the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Inter-American Convention for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women and punishment for those who commit any violent act.
Following the Beijing Conference on Women in 1995, the Guyana Leadership Institute was established. The primary objective of the institute is to develop the personal and public potential of women – to enhance and increase their participation at all levels of decision making in society. The National Resource and Documentation Centre for Gender and Development is geared to provide information and capacity support to improve the use of gender segregated data in analysis and decision making in the Ministries.
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