More Guyanese women need to become involved in decision-making – social activist

Social activist, Dr Dawn Stewart, who once worked side by side with the late Dr Faith Harding, will soon be launching a campaign called Guyanese Women Roundtable (GWR), with the aim of having more women involved in politics.

According to Dr Stewart, the campaign was designed to have more women involved in the welfare of Guyana’s electoral system. It was pointed out that the 10th Parliament has only 20 female representatives.

“I often wonder who pushes the issues that affect the lives of women, thus affecting the life of children and men, because as you know women are highly committed to promoting national and local policies that address socio-economic and political challenges that face women, children and disadvantaged groups, typically, women are very focused on that,” Dr Stewart said.

She opined that if more women were actively involved in the decision-making process, many issues facing Guyana would have been prevented.

Issues surrounding healthcare, security, social services and education are linked to moral behaviours and guidelines, she further opined.

“What do we do to stop that type of behaviour and bring moral guidelines into our community? Those are real issues, maybe they are not issues that our campaign persons may look at as sound issues, but I believe that women of Guyana have the power to address those issues,” she added.

Dr Stewart highlighted that while cultural change is an individual development, the Government still has a critical role to play in fashioning the minds of Guyanese.

“There are no incentives for cultural change because there are no consequences for persons who break simple rules or laws,” she said, referring to persons who sell alcohol to underage children or minibus operators who create a hazardous roadway but are yet supported by passengers.

She added that many are still dying from preventable diseases, noting too that teenage pregnancy is still on the rise yet persons who rape young girls are still walking free. Fatal accidents, poor law enforcement, a defunct educational system were among other issues highlighted by the social activist.

Dr Stewart despondently pointed out the sad reality Guyanese are living in, noting that these serious issues have become so prevalent that they are referred to as the norm.

According to her, there is no order in the society, and as such the objective of the campaign is to advocate for those with authority to address these issues.

“We want to mobilise women to address the issues to change the entire landscape, cultural and social…”

Dr Stewart referred to the elderly woman that was recently raped and murdered and rhetorically asked what the consequences will be. She also pointed out other cases where persons were charged with rape, among other immoral charges, yet they are walking free.

“I know a lady who was raped when she was 13, now she’s 30, now she said how do I get over this if every day I see my rapist and I see him and I pass him every day and he acts as if nothing happened,” Dr Stewart related.

On that note, she said Guyana seriously needs to address the issue of paedophiles, possibly by creating a sex registry.

She pointed out that the nation records numerous underage girls giving birth, which counts for statutory rape, yet no action is being done to charge those persons who impregnated the young girls.

Dr Stewart noted that these prevailing issues are being neglected by the men in Parliament and as such, more women need to get involved to propel these changes.

“Five years from now, we must see more young women in Parliament and more women in key leadership positions making decisions, not accepting decisions but making decisions that affect the life and wellbeing of children, women and the elderly,” Dr Stewart said.