Women must prepare themselves to take leadership roles
--Says Chandarpal
Guyana Chronicle
May 31, 2004

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GINA - Empowering women means equipping them with the necessary skills to advance to positions of leadership, according to Executive of the Coordinating Council on Women and Gender Equity, Mrs Indra Chandarpal.

Ms. Chandarpal was the feature speaker at the seminar with the theme, "Empowering Women to become leaders in the Trade Union Movement" held at the Guyana Labour Union Headquarters.

Women for the two-day workshop were chosen from Barama Company Limited, the Mayor and City Council (Georgetown and New Amsterdam), the Demerara Sugar Terminal, St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital and the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC).

Other presenters for the sessions, which commenced on Thursday included: Ms Patricia Griffith, Human Resource Manager, Barama Company Limited; Ms Brenda Williams; Senior Labour Officer, Ministry of Labour; and Ms Vera Norton, Education Officer, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

Chandarpal said that it was only through empowering opportunities that women can take their rightful places in society.

She cautioned that if women want to be empowered, they must be prepared. They should ensure that there is a clear understanding of the laws of Guyana and the trade union movement. She also encouraged women to seek avenues in order to secure higher positions in the world of work. The former Women’s Minister encouraged participants to ‘piggyback’ on programmes organised by agencies where women are trained in critical areas.

The Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI) was identified as one of the Organisations where women can be trained to take up positions in the workplace.

In an interactive session, Ms Griffith said women must learn to network with each other in order to garner strength from each other.

She encouraged participants to engage in open discussions on their place in their immediate work environments and what they would like to achieve for themselves.

Ms Allison Reid, a charwoman with the Mayor and City Council, said this was her first seminar, and that she was very happy for the opportunity to be part of it.

Reid said that far too often women are not given a chance in the workplace because of the perception employers may have of them. She strongly believes that women should be given more opportunities to prove themselves.

Ms Elizabeth Mason, Assistant General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union, said the challenge participants now face is putting what they have learnt into practice when they get back to their jobs.

The workshop concluded Friday. (Government Information Agency)