Benefits and opportunities of women within GPSU

Dear Editor,
The role of women and empowering women within the Guyana labour force has been a matter of controversy for over decades. The GPSU has a vibrant Women’s Committee, and has been on the front burner of advocating for women and their empowerment not just to fulfil the goal of gender equality, they have also done so to promote leadership amongst women within the Working Class.
Due to my perseverance and enthusiasm as a public service employee and a young woman, I was given the opportunity to represent Guyana and the Caribbean at official meetings and conferences both at regional and international levels.
These platforms have afforded me the opportunities of speaking out and making significant contributions, while achieving the pertinent personal and professional advancements.
It should be noted that women has been and continues to be empowered as their civic, economic, social and political participations at decision-making levels continue to expand within the work force.
For Women in today’s society their role can be termed threefold, in that we are capable of managing our jobs, homes and childcare relatively. Thus, striving to create a family-oriented work environment, and realising that empowering women has a “domino effect”, in that it could eventually lead to improved living conditions and childcare investments.
With much valued representation by the GPSU, women’s status has moved from discrimination (right to vote denied) to legislation (gender equality policies) to capacity building.
As we reflect on the challenges and progress made thus far, in my opinion, greater attention should be placed on doing our part as women by claiming such rights instead of awaiting a platter.
The fact remains that women are currently serving, and have in the past served at varying decision-making and executive levels within the Union, as many can attest to such awareness.
The Guyana Public Service Union is indeed devoted to making substantial contributions towards the empowerment of women and women’s issues. On this note, I urge other organisations that have not yet included women’s role as a pertinent aspect to review their approach, since it is one of the seventeen Sustainable Developmental Goal that our Government would have signed onto in seeking to realise the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women.

Sincerely,
Ronda Floris