U.S. envoy charges teen girls to be strong women

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt visited the second annual Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) leadership camp, held at the Kuru- Kuru Cooperative College, Linden, Soesdyke Highway, on August 10, as the campers wrapped up a week of activities.

Camp GLOW, a worldwide young women’s empowerment camp, was organised by the Gender and Development Volunteer Task Force of the U. S. Peace Corps in Guyana. In a release, the U. S. embassy said that from August 6 to 11, young girls, ages 13 to 17 from across Guyana, participated in activities that focused on teamwork, building self- esteem, goalsetting, decision-making, and creating healthy relationships and lifestyles.
The Peace Corps Guyana Gender and Development Task Force seeks to address issues of gender related to equality, human rights, and access to services; to build capacity and efficacy among women to improve the quality of life for all genders; and to serve as a resource group for all volunteer work related to gender and development issues.
To ensure the success of this mission and Camp GLOW, the Peace Corps Volunteers collaborated with the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and local non-governmental organisations, including Hope for All and Guyana Business Coalition. Prominent women leaders, including representatives from the Education Ministry, Linden Care Foundation, Hope for All, and the Region Two National Democratic Council were invited to share their experiences in a series of inspirational talks with the girls.
During Ambassador Hardt’s interaction with the participants, he emphasised the importance for young women to take steps to embrace their potential as future leaders and strong women. He encouraged them to use the skills they learned at the camp to make a difference, not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of members of their communities.
Ambassador Hardt highlighted the outstanding achievements of three GLOW girls; Alexie, Triveina, and Adelie, who participated in the first camp last December. These three young women not only met the challenge of improving their community, but far surpassed anyone’s expectations, proving not only that youth can make a difference in their communities, but that young women can be leaders and change the world around them if given the opportunity and skills.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has been a powerful advocate worldwide for the empowerment of girls and women. She has encouraged U. S. embassies to encourage young women to make the most of their talents and contribute to the development of their countries.
Secretary Clinton visited the annual Camp GLOW empowerment camp in Lilongwe, Malawi, during her recent visit to Africa.
The U. S. embassy says it is dedicated to supporting the development and empowerment of women and young girls in Guyana, and views this as a crucial aspect of social and economic development.