Sexual, gender-based & domestic violence continue to be major challenges – Dr Persaud tells 66th CSW

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud recently delivered a statement on behalf of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as well as reflections from the perspective of Guyana during the 66th General Discussion on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Speaking at the event held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Persaud noted that this year’s theme is especially important to the Caricom members who are among the most vulnerable with regards to climate change impact. As such, keeping global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius is necessary to survival.
“Caricom Heads of Government have called upon the international community to urgently uphold its responsibility to protect the most vulnerable and maintain a central focus on the special case and particular circumstances of Small Island Developing States (SIDS),” Minister Persaud said while adding, “Leaders around the world must confront the reality that climate change poses an existential threat to SIDS and that its impacts represent a code red for humanity.”
“While the impact of extreme climate events such as floods and hurricanes are seen quickly, no less impactful are the slow onset events like droughts and sea level rise which have been increasing in frequency and intensity as global temperatures continue to rise,” she highlighted after stating that CO2 emissions in 2021 were the second-highest in history.
Persaud further related that the region’s disappointment in the promised US$100 billion by 2020 goal for developing countries fell short and called for its fulfilment as it is seen as a base and no ceiling.
“The majority of the world’s poor are women. Women in situations of poverty commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change. When children are unable to attend school during floods and hurricanes and other disasters, it is mainly the women who must ensure that they are kept safe, fed and schooled; when there is a drought it is the women who often have to travel long distances to fetch water for domestic use,” Minister Persaud reasoned.
These disasters increase the loss in livelihoods, disruption in access to education, basic healthcare, food security and alarming rates of sexual and gender-based violence.
The Minister reckoned that data disaggregated by sex is important in better understanding the disproportionate gendered impact of climate change and continues to seek support to build capacity to collect credible data and implement measures that must be materialised.
“Programmes and policies must focus on building the capacities of women and girls in a holistic manner, and climate finance for both adaptation and mitigation activities must be responsive to differentiated gender needs and empower women, including by supporting women-owned micro and small and medium-sized enterprises in the green and blue economies,” she said.
“There must be investment in women-led and women-focused sustainable solutions, including Indigenous and rural nature-based solutions, resource management, and food production activities. Increasing the participation of women in the management of natural resources, and in the design and implementation of early warning systems, will contribute to more resilient societies,” Persaud added.
She noted that sexual, gender-based and domestic violence continue to be some of the major challenges but have unfortunately amplified due to the pandemic and climate crisis.
Nevertheless, the Caricom Governments are working consistently to eliminate these issues by ensuring access to justice and support to survivors.
These member states have also placed a high priority on the provision of quality education and access to healthcare and social protection systems with the understanding that when women and girls are enabled and empowered, positive results are inevitable.
“This session of CSW is an important platform to advocate for the increased participation of women in climate change discussions and decision-making at the national, regional and international levels. For our part, Caricom member States recognise that women’s full and effective participation in climate action and disaster risk reduction is critical. Our governments are continuing to mainstream gender into development policy, budgets and planning as well as national adaptation plans and disaster resilience strategies,” Minister Persaud noted.
She echoed the commitment of Caricom to creating an environment conducive to women’s development in the context of climate change and all efforts are made to achieve gender equality.
Meanwhile, Minister Persaud reflected on Guyana’s perspective by reiterating the country’s progression in making mainstream, participation of women and girls in these areas.
“Our Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which seeks to transform the economy while combating climate change, has significantly benefited women through micro and small enterprises. Financing under the LCDS is also being used to bridge the ICT divide by offering connectivity and related tools ensuring access by women and girls to Government services, education and information,” she relayed.
While women and girls in Guyana have also been creating innovative solutions to protect our valuable ecosystem in several areas including through the use of drones to monitor environmental activities to ascertain what threats have emerged to the ecosystem of mangroves and how responses should be tailored.
Minister Persaud also spoke on the successful free non-traditional technical and vocational programmes offered with no pre-admission requirements to ensure thousands get the necessary training and skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, Minister Persaud participated in the Ministerial Roundtable for the Commission on the Status of Women under the theme, “Achieving Gender Equality and Empowerment of all Women and Girls in the Context of Climate Change, Environmental and Disaster Risk Reduction Policies and Programmes: Advancing Gender Equality Through Holistic and Integrated Actions from Global to Local”.
“Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, which seeks to transform the economy while combating climate change, promotes the inclusion of women and vulnerable groups in key economic sectors. Since the strategy’s launch in 2009, women have benefitted significantly, including through micro, small enterprise and entrepreneurial projects and job opportunities. 62 per cent of the low carbon cash grants were awarded to women, who were trained in climate smart agriculture, sustainable forestry, photography and business development,” Minister Persaud detailed.
With 85 per cent of Guyana covered in forest, it has the second-highest percentage on earth. Minister Persaud reiterated that Guyanese women are leading in climate action and advocacy while also dominating agricultural subsectors with rural and remote communities having economic opportunities in the expanding low carbon eco-tourism sector.
“Our global achievement of gender equality in the context of climate change is heavily reliant on each country’s commitment and genuine desire to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change globally,” Minister Persaud said.