PPP has done well in championing gender equality – AG

On the occasion of International Women’s Day – observed on Tuesday under the theme “Break The Bias” – Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall reflected on and recognised the significant contributions Guyanese women have made in moulding the society and building the country.
During his weekly programme, “Issues In The News”, he posited that many of these gains were made possible under various People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administrations over the years.
“In Guyana, I believe that we have accomplished a lot in the area of gender equality… Guyana has done well. We, in this [PPP] Government, have done well in championing the cause of gender equality and securing an equal place in our country for our womenfolk,” Nandlall asserted.
According to the AG, not only has the Party supported women in the struggle for equality but led in this regard from the front with leaders such as Janet Jagan – who was named by TIME Magazine in 2011 as one of history’s 16 most rebellious women.
Jagan was the first female Prime Minister (1997) and President of Guyana (1997-1999). She also served in several other senior posts in the country including at the ministerial level as well as outside the State apparatus. In addition to her political career, the US-born Jagan also helped pioneer women rights ‘activism.
“We have had good leadership from our women fraternity leading the charge in the struggle to bring gender equality,” Nandlall noted.
The Attorney General went on to highlight that Guyana’s legal system has mechanisms entrenched to prevent any discrimination against women. Those mechanisms, he said, are enshrined in the Constitution as a fundamental right.
In fact, he outlined that this fundamental right protects women from any form of discrimination by the State of Guyana or any public officer or agency on any ground stemming from gender-related issues.
“In every sphere of activities at the level of the Government and at the level of the State, we have policies, we have mechanisms and we have protective safeguards against discrimination in any form or fashion against women,” the AG stated.
Nandlall further detailed the many steps taken in Guyana over the years to protect women and support the removal of barriers that treat them differently than men.
These include the establishment of the Women and Gender Equality Commission to advance the cause of gender equality and to protect our women from discrimination. According to Nandlall, there are very few countries in the Caribbean with such a constitutional body.
“Sometimes we need to celebrate what we have accomplished… It is in these moments and on these occasions that we must reflect upon the accomplishments that we have made as a country and as a people, so that we can appreciate what are the challenges going forward,” he stressed.
Additionally, the Attorney General also mentioned that a series of legislation was introduced in the Statue books all designed to advance gender equality and protect women from discrimination.
Among these are the Equal Rights Act which guarantees, outside of Government and the State, equal treatment for women especially in the area of employment; the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act which protects women from being dismissed, disciplined or discriminated against for women-related issues such as pregnancies; and the Removal of Discrimination Act which protects children, including females, who are born out of wedlock and ensure equal status as those born in wedlock.
Reference was also made to the Domestic Violence Act, which not only created a series of criminal offences for abuse meted out to victims – who are mostly females – but also empowers the Magistrate to remove male abusers from the home even if he owns it, as well as the Sexual Offences Act which is dedicated largely to protect victims – again, who are mostly women and young girls.
There was also other legislation implemented that guaranteed matrimonial rights for women such as the Married Person Property Law, which allows a woman to claim equal rights to matrimonial assets whether they work or not when a marriage is being dissolved, and also recognises common-law unions that last for more than five years entitle the female partners to the same rights as married women.
Then there is the Civil Law Amendment Act, which empowers women who are not legally married and whose partners have died, to have equal rights to apply to court for Letters of Administration to the estate of the spouse.
According to AG Nandlall, these are sufficient citations “…to illustrate that we have a commendable framework of legislation, policies, concepts and mechanisms within our governmental architecture as well as within the State apparatus that aggregate to form a formidable, protective network in respect of women and to advance the cause of gender equality”.
He asserted that these institutional frameworks have allowed women to make significant contributions and gain similarly significant achievements in Guyana, where the Judiciary has also been leading in this regard.
Guyana was the first country in the Caribbean to have a female High Court Judge, female Chief Justice, and female Chancellor – all in the person of Retired Justice Desiree Bernard, who also served as the first female Judge at the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Further, the top judicial posts are currently held by females: acting Chancellor Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; acting Chief Justice Roxane George and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack among others. (G8)