The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) said though women’s contributions, strides and sufferings cannot be confined to time and place it joins with the nation in saluting them on International Women’s Day (IWD).

In a press release the GPSU said women’s contributions to trade unionism are many.

It said the common values that both movements share in their undertaking to unite people have led to a national partnership where women have been instrumental in keeping the wheels of industry turning.

In keeping with this the Union said it recalled its IWD 2006 theme “Women in decision making: meeting the challenges, creating change.”

At the same time, the Union said women should also use this occasion to take stock of the progress of the cause and the need for reassessment of priorities. It said despite the accomplishments there are still “challenges that they face even in the 21st century.” The GPSU said it recognises that in Guyana the average woman’s opportunities for upward mobility are a fraction of that of a man’s and that most women in the labour force are in lower paying jobs. It said though in principle women’s rights have improved worldwide “women continue to bear the greater share of the burden of inequality in every corner of the world.”

This imbalance must be corrected the Union said. Meantime, the GPSU’s general and executive councils extend their gratitude to the local workforce 60% of which are women.