From silence to strength: New group targets women’s empowerment

A new women’s empowerment initiative was recently launched in Berbice, with its founder, Amanda Punwa, declaring that women must not only understand their rights but have the confidence to assert them.
The organisation, “Her Rights, Her Power”, was formed in collaboration with Dorcas Mending Hearts Ministry and aims to provide women with legal guidance, emotional support, and practical tools to better navigate challenges in their personal and professional lives.
Punwa, a teacher by profession, said the idea for the initiative emerged from years of interaction with mothers of the children she teaches. In daily conversations, she encountered women who were quietly grappling with financial dependence, workplace inequality, strained relationships, and emotional stress.
“Women have all heard many times, ‘You know what, it’s okay, just accept it, go with the flow… maybe you’re the problem, maybe you should tone down a bit, maybe you shouldn’t say when there is a problem, just let it be,’” Punwa said.
According to her, such messaging has conditioned many women to suppress their concerns rather than confront them constructively. She stressed that the organisation is not about encouraging confrontation but about building awareness and self-assurance.
She recounted instances where women expressed frustration over financial dependence within their households.
“Maybe I want to buy something, miss, but I can’t buy it because I don’t have the money. I have to wait until my husband says it’s okay… like financial dependencies… All of these things I get to hear all the time,” she explained.
Punwa said these recurring themes made it clear that many women were not lacking strength but access to information and support systems.
To address that gap, the newly formed body plans to bring together professionals who can provide structured guidance. Legal awareness will form a major component of its work, particularly in areas relating to marriage, separation, and employment rights.
“Definitely lawyers, because a lot of women do not know of their rights as women, especially being separated from their husbands, or even employment rights as women… and we have a Court of Appeal Judge, Dr Kim Kite, on board with us,” Punwa revealed.
In addition to legal professionals, the initiative intends to engage doctors and other specialists to assist with mental health awareness and personal development. Training sessions and therapeutic activities are also being planned to help women manage stress and build confidence.
Punwa, who will serve as team leader, said she hopes to assemble a strong network of women capable of sustaining the initiative and ensuring it remains accessible to those in need.
“We’re going to give them the weapon of understanding… the weapon of confidence in themselves to know that, you know what, I got this. It’s not me alone. I got this,” she said. For Punwa, empowerment begins with awareness, and awareness begins with conversation.