Dear Editor,
Notwithstanding that I am a male; I cannot help but respond to Indra Chandarpal and Cathy Hughes in their reaction to the Red Thread women’s organisation calling on female parliamentarians to start representing the interests of grassroots women. Ms Chandarpal and Ms Hughes, these women’s concerns are authentic and need to be addressed.
Madam MPs, can you please serve these women who are living in dire poverty locally by funding and creating microcredit programmes that help generate sustainable income and create economic prosperity. Can you please improve their lives and help them escape poverty through access to microfinance and technology.
Please fully implement laws and international commitments that address women’s inequality and discrimination; and build effective women’s networks and human rights institutes that will prevent and remedy structural causes of gender inequality and discrimination. Gender equality is a challenge in Guyana. Governments at all levels should stop paying lip service to the issue of gender equality or equity and make the system work to treat all genders identically.
Ms Chandarpal can parliament please promote rural women empowerment through a series of workshops, practical seminars (business and family), group discussions and enlightenment programmes.
And Ms Hughes, what about emphasis on focused, hardworking and committed women, who though poor can be financially empowered to start small scale enterprises to make ends meet and help their families.
I have discovered that the best option to stop domestic violence against women in Guyana is for the concerned women to be adequately empowered in all ways to reduce their liability ticket. Financial empowerment is key to check domestic violence.
In closing, I must remind both distinguished women that gender equality and the empowerment of women are at the heart of the MDGs and are preconditions for overcoming poverty, hunger and disease.
Yours faithfully,
Adel Lilly
