First Lady Discusses Gender Equality

25th of September, 2020. Georgetown, Guyana, South America

As I seek to play my part in improving the well-being of women and children across Guyana, I must first understand the origins of some of the challenges they face and listen to ideas on how to improve their situation.

It is for this reason that I joined other First Ladies from across the globe on Thursday, in a virtual conference organized by the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN), to discuss gender equality.

The conference, which was held on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, examined the role of men and boys in advancing gender equality. It provided an opportunity for true collaboration on advancing shared commitment into meaningful action and sustainable change for our people across the world.

It is no secret that we live in a male-dominated world and as men continue to exercise power over women, this impacts every area of the latter’s lives. It is only fitting therefore that men become part of the solution to reduce gender inequality.

We are therefore tasked with ensuring that we help to build responsible masculinities, and create protective spaces for women and other vulnerable groups. It was also disheartening to learn that gender inequality and violence has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I therefore wish to make an urgent call for each of us, to play our part in ensuring that we create a society that places equal value on individuals regardless of their gender.