GPSU PRESS STATEMENT: International Women’s Day 2023

International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD 2023) is being observed worldwide on March 8, 2023 under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

In the context of the theme for IWD 2023, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) would like to recognise the contributions of women and girls in Guyana and around the world that are contributing to innovations in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and as such are contributing to bridging the gender equality gap that currently exists in the area of artificial intelligence around the world.

According to a United Nations (UN) survey, “women make up only 22 percent of artificial intelligence (AI) workers globally”, while “a global analysis of 133 AI systems across industries found that 44.2 per cent demonstrate gender bias”. The UN also indicated that “A survey of women journalists from 125 countries found that 73 per cent had suffered online violence in the course of their work.”

GPSU seeks to inspire all women and girls to pursue STEM based education and careers, towards the ultimate removal of the gender disparity that currently exists in artificial intelligence. Women and girls must be empowered in every conceivable way, because they are key to change and development in communities and the Country as a whole. This would also aid in the achievement of gender equity, a prerequisite for inclusivity and finally, a genuine partnership with mutual respect that would positively impact peace and prosperity countrywide.

The GPSU continues its militancy towards empowerment of women and girls and the achievement of gender equity, until these goals are successfully achieved. The GPSU would also militate against the scourge of discrimination, violence and harassment of women in workplaces, the community and beyond. To this end, GPSU sought the intervention of both President David Arthur Granger and President Mohamed Irfaan Ali to have Parliament of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana urgently ratify International Labour Organisation Convention C190 on “Violence and Harassment”, together with related Violence and Harassment Recommendation 206. Even though these written requests were respectively made on December 9, 2019 and December 20, 2021, the third month of the year 2023 is on its way without any positive action towards this necessary measure.

The aforementioned situation is most unfortunate and has impacted Guyana’s Gender Violence and Harassment Index worldwide, where observers no doubt have heaped shame on the Country’s management of women’s affairs, albeit at Government level and even when the media is alight with instances of violence and harassment against women.

The GPSU recognizes that the challenges are continuous and would like to urge all women and girls to continue to be proactive, creative and ready to confront and stand firm to any and all circumstances that present themselves over time.

Finally, the Guyana Public Service Union would like to take this opportunity to wish all women and girls, in Guyana and around the world, a happy and prosperous International Women’s Day 2023, even though some are besieged by illness, famine, discrimination, humiliation, violence, war and other social ills. The Union believes that these undesirable situations, challenges and circumstances would eventually be overcome.