Dear Editor,
We, in the Women’s Progressive Organisation, the women’s section of the People’s Progressive Party, received the sad news that Shirley Edwards passed away peacefully at her residence on Wednesday, 30th July, 2025, at a remarkable age. As we ponder on her life, which spanned various periods in Guyana’s history, we recognise that she was a brave and resilient comrade who weathered every political storm, even the politically hostile environment in which she lived.
Shirley was involved in politics long before she began her political activism. In an interview in 1995, she said, “My mother felt that women were exploited and encouraged me to fight for women’s rights through the political platform.” She was encouraged by the then General Secretary of the PPP, Ms Janet Jagan, to join the political movement. Shirley was impressed by Brindley Benn when she heard him speaking at a Progressive Youth Organisation Seminar in 1963.
In 1965, because of her political allegiance to the PPP, her services as a qualified teacher at Mahdia Government School were terminated. She was also barred from receiving communion as a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. She was told by the priest that unless she denounced communism, she would not be allowed to take communion. She refused to change her views and did not attend church until 1986.
Shirley was castigated by her paternal relatives for her political association. After 32 years, they spoke to her. She was married with 5 children and claimed that Mrs. Jagan provided her with much-needed moral and financial support for her family. In 1978, her husband was fired from his job after the 1978 elections. These and many other difficulties made her stronger, and as a leader of the WPO, she attended several international conferences, which helped to widen her nationalist and political horizon.
She advised young women and girls to educate themselves to achieve upward mobility. She opined that young women should not depend on men for their growth and development but must try to be assertive and financially independent.
Her vision was for Guyana to have a woman president; these sentiments were expressed in the book, which was printed for International Women’s Day in 1997. “Women, she believes, should stand up and fight for their rights. She said very clearly that women should forget about race and race politics and must unite to change the things that oppress and discriminate against them. She asserted that women should see themselves as Guyanese and leaders and should stop saying Afro-Guyanese or Indo-Guyanese, because where unity exists, women will come together to achieve their full potential.”
Shirley Edwards was appointed to the National Assembly in December 1992 and served up to 2011. She inculcated in her children and grandchildren love for the PPP and its arms. Her dedication was genuine, and she herself was loved by her comrades. She will be missed by all who knew her. We dedicate the poem “Death of a Comrade” by Martin Carter to her loved ones.
