Women urged to mentor more

Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes had urged women to make mentoring a part of their duty throughout this year.

At the Global Mentoring Walk, which was on Saturday held in honour of International Women’s Day (annually observed on March 8) under the theme “Embracing opportunities to pay it forward by investing in the next generation of women leaders”, the Minister addressed those assembled at Geo Tech Vision on Brickdam prior to commencement of the walk, and encouraged women to seek and reach out to fellow women as mentors. “Just leave a word of encouragement, or tell them about a woman who has defied the odds in this male-dominated world, and who has climbed to high heights,” Minister Hughes admonished.

Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes leads the Mentoring Walk
Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes leads the Mentoring Walk

Noting that mentoring is one of the most fulfilling things that someone can undertake, and describing the experience as rewarding, Minister Hughes stressed that women are the backbone of the world, and that it is women’s responsibility to do whatever they can to effect positive change.

She admonished women to play more active roles in their respective communities, and to take interest in the local government process. Here, for emphasis, she made reference to the achievements of prominent women in Guyanese history.

“Each of us has so much to offer all of Guyana, we just have to look for the little ways we can contribute that take nothing from us,” Minister Hughes is quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying.

Vital Voices Grow fellow and flag-bearer for Guyana, the Managing Director of Geo Tech Vision, Ms. Valerie Grant, explained that the occasion serves to raise awareness and highlight the importance of women’s leadership, in order to accelerate the impact of women leaders through mentoring.

Pointing out that the organisation is aware of the unique challenges faced by women on their path to leadership, Grant said the entity, by way of mentoring, is committed to assisting aspiring women to succeed, as mentoring has proven to be one of the most important steps in helping persons to successful careers.

Saturday’s Global Mentoring Walk, one of many held globally, was hosted by Geo Tech Vision in collaboration with the Guyana Chapter of the Women Entrepreneurs Network of the Caribbean (WENC) and the Small Business Bureau. The event commenced at Geo Tech Vision on Brickdam, Georgetown and culminated in the Botanical Gardens with a series of activities, which saw the engagement of participants in discussions ranging from professional challenges to networking, action planning and goal setting – ultimately offering guidance and support to each other.