Continuing the work of Sheila Holder is on the forefront of the mind of media specialist Cathy Hughes. Hughes has taken up parliamentary appointment and will be representing the Alliance for Change (AFC) when the 10th session of Parliament convenes early next year.
She said, she will be focusing on women’s issues and issues affecting the elderly, noting that the “whole, entire area that Sheila Holder focused on… she did a lot of work on the welfare situation here… really allowing Guyana to do better for its citizens”. Hughes noted that Guyanese need a better standard of living and the aged, infirmed and women need to benefit significantly from the resources of the state, and she is not at all shy as a first time parliamentarian to ensure that the standard of living of all Guyanese is improved.
Cathy Hughes
“… the average citizen still is not allowed to get the benefits that Guyana should be able to give to its people and here we are talking about cost of living reduction, easing some of that burden, pensions, access to housing, we have a right to do better for our people,” she stated.
Additionally, Hughes said that her background in journalism will aid in the process to change the landscape of the media here, providing all stakeholders with equal access to state resources.
“Personally, I think it is very unfair that political parties in Guyana do not have an equal opportunity to use the nation’s resources to spread their message and allow the people of Guyana the integrity and the right to be properly informed and to make informed choices.” Hughes believes that the time has come for all to conduct their affairs on an equal playing field.
“The whole media landscape should be changed… restoring transparency, good governance and those principles.” She is adamant she will make a positive contribution to the National Assembly when her stint commences next year.
Cathy Hughes is a media specialist with extensive knowledge of the Caribbean media and advertising environment.
She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, having obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) degree in Mass Communications with a major in television production.
She has worked at media entities in the Caribbean and internationally for over 20 years, first as a news reporter for the Caribbean News Agency and as a television producer with the Jamaica Information Service.
In 1987, she joined the BBC’s Radio Merseyside team as a freelance reporter, and in 1989, she moved to Texas where she was responsible for the production of local news for insertion on CNN’s Headline News in College Station, Texas and Louisiana.
Hughes returned to Guyana in 1993 and now runs her own company, Videomega Productions. She is also director of Ariantze Hotel Sidewalk Café and Jazz Club, a family run business.
She is the former president of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), a member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union and the Caribbean Media Corporation.
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