It is time to pull article 29 from its hiding place in the latest Constitution of Guyana (2002) and let all sporting organizations, all those who give assistance to sporting events, all Insurance Companies and other business places know that it is illegal to discriminate against women.
Article 29 states:
Women and men have equal rights and the same legal status in all spheres of political, economic and social life. All forms of discrimination against women on the basis of their sex are illegal.
The exercise of women’s rights is ensured by according women equal access with men to academic, vocational and professional training, equal opportunity in employment, remuneration and promotion, and in social, political and cultural activity by special labour and health protection measures for women, by providing conditions enabling mothers to work and by legal protection and maternal and moral support for mothers and children, including paid leave and other benefits for mothers and expectant mothers.
Subsection (I) is particularly important as it seems that in the sporting world equality for women is altogether unknown. On Wednesday September 26 it was reported in the Guyana Chronicle that Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited had ploughed $3 million into under -15 schools competition. It was fair to assume that the competition would be open to boys and girls as girls, as I understand, have been trained in cricket. I am told that the competition is only for boys.
In the 1970s the All Stars Women’s Cricket Club was competing with young men in Third Class Cricket.
The team was challenged by many teams of men. Ave Morgan, a member of the team, migrated to Canada and captained the men’s team there. She is now coaching a Canadian Women’s team of cricketers.
In the Bishop’s High School in the 1940s girls were playing cricket with a hard ball. There is no reason at all why women and girls should not compete in the game. The opposition to women’s cricket in Guyana in the 1970s flowed from the advisers to the Minister. In the 1970s we were told that cricket was not for Guyanese women although it was being played by women in Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica.
One cannot blame the Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd for not knowing that discrimination against girls and women is illegal in Guyana. One has to blame the Ministry. It is a matter of concern that the daily newspapers carry pages and pages of sporting events for men and hardly a word about women’s events.
In the Sunday Chronicle, September 30, one read the headline, “Berbice and Essequibo name women’s cricket squads” At last we were to have a competition organized by the Guyana Cricket Board. The teams were named in the article but no report on the events has followed.
Why is this discrimination against women and girls allowed to continue? Older women in Vilvoorden were attempting to keep fit by playing softball cricket and circle tennis. They applied for funds to purchase gear. No funds were granted. In despair, they have given up. No one sponsors them.
In the Stabroek News of September 4, 2007 one sees the headline “The cost of the gender gap.” The writer, Helen Mees, of New York points out those denying equal rights to women hinder economic development. Mothers, rather than fathers, aid in the education of their children. Countries that have made economic progress are countries that have freed up the market to women.
In Guyana we understand that it is extremely difficult for a woman to rise to a very senior position in insurance companies and in other businesses. There is only one woman among ten managers in the New Building Society.
Let us begin at the level of sport and then work elsewhere. As Helen Mees said “reducing the inequities that exist between men and women is not only a matter of justice, it also makes economic sense.”
