Dear Editor,
As the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2025, while women are being honoured, let’s acknowledge the fact that a lot more can be done to foster gender equality and reduce gender discrimination. Let us not stifle our conscience by the few women who were honoured and praised, that there has been significant progress, because there has not been significant progress to close the gap of gender inequality.
As I sit and write this, while I hold a “somewhat “good” position” in the organization I work, and don’t get me wrong, I was feeling pretty accomplished and proud of my achievements – until I decided to educate myself on the progress the world and our country has made towards filling the gap of gender inequality.
I am, and I am almost sure, the women in this country who were honoured, are facing several challenges in the fields they work. While yes there is inclusion now, let us examine one very big elephant in the room, women are paid much less than men for doing the same job, and in some instances doing much more than men.
While I would love to quote articles and cite a few reports the evidence is there! Take a look at the leading organizations in Guyana, and look at who sits on the board of directors. Let’s examine some of the leading organizations in Guyana, while they “try” to portray gender inclusion and equality, ask those women who are deemed “Directors” and “Executives” what their pay structure is like.
From where I sit, a woman will be tasked with and expected to do as much as 50% more than her male colleagues in the same field but she will earn as much as 50% less than him! Women are still being subjected to workplace discrimination.
One article published by UN Women (2023) reported on workplace discrimination and inequalities, “only 61 per cent of prime working-age women participate in the labour force, compared to 91 per cent of prime working-age men. This affects both economic growth and societal progress. In 2019, for each dollar men earned in labour income, women earned only 51 per cent.” While the comparison was done in 2019, how much has changed?
That same article went on to report that, “Each year, 245 million women and girls experience physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Older women also face higher rates of poverty and violence than older men.”
I took a step back and I thought about Guyana, and whether these statistics can be applied here, and while this is just my opinion, I cannot say that it is different here. Women are being discriminated against in the workforce, and almost every day the media reports of women and girls being sexually abused and killed.
I am not disputing the fact that there has been progress in bridging the gap in gender inequality, but how is it being measured? From what I see, women are being promoted far less than men, even though they are qualified and experienced; and even when they are promoted, they are paid significantly less than men. My only conclusion is that women are still looked at as being inferior to men and the disrespect is very much evident. It is a culture that has to be changed.
With that being said, I wish every woman and girl a very Happy International Women’s Day. I know what it is like to be abused. I know what it is like being a single mom. I know what it is like to be overlooked for promotions because I am a woman. I know the daily challenges of single-handedly raising a family and juggling work and study. And I certainly know what it is like earning less for doing more.
Nonetheless, we as women, are made of steel and we are superheroes. We wipe our tears and we persevere. From one woman to another, adversity only makes us stronger. The more we are tested, the more we persevere.
Yours sincerely,
Indi Ram
