We salute your achievements, honour your sacrifices & celebrate your enduring strength
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) proudly joins the global community in recognising and celebrating the invaluable contributions of women to the advancement of our societies and the betterment of humanity.
Throughout history and in contemporary times, women have played an indispensable role in shaping families, communities, economies, and nations. Across every sector—agriculture, education, healthcare, governance, entrepreneurship, and community development—women continue to uplift and transform our world through their resilience, leadership, compassion, and innovation. Their contributions have profoundly influenced everyday life and have been central to social progress and human development.
International Women’s Day itself is rooted in the historic struggles of women who bravely demanded equality, fairness, and justice in societies that too often denied them these fundamental rights. Their advocacy for better working conditions, equal opportunities, and recognition laid the foundation for the ongoing global movement for gender equality.
While meaningful progress has been achieved over the years, women in many parts of the world continue to confront systemic discrimination, inequality, and undervaluation of their work and contributions. Persistent disparities in income, representation, access to opportunities, and protection from violence remain stark reminders that the struggle for true equality is far from over.
Encouragingly, governments, organisations, unions, and civil society across the world are intensifying efforts to reverse these troubling trends and create a fairer, more inclusive world for women and girls. In Guyana, important initiatives continue to advance women’s welfare and empowerment. These include stronger actions to confront and reduce domestic violence, the promotion and support of women’s entrepreneurship, and sustained national emphasis on female empowerment through education and skills development.
Such efforts are essential to building a society where women can fully realise their potential and participate equally in national development. The empowerment of women is not merely a social objective—it is a critical component of sustainable development and collective progress.
As the international community observes International Women’s Day 2026 under the United Nations theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment.”, GAWU reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advocating for fairness, dignity, and justice for women everywhere. The theme reminds us that the pursuit of gender equality must be inclusive, ensuring that every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.
On this important occasion, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union extends its warmest and most sincere wishes to all women across Guyana, throughout our Caribbean region, and around the world. We salute your achievements, honour your sacrifices, and celebrate your enduring strength.
GAWU remains steadfast in standing with and by women in the continued struggle for equality, empowerment, and justice, as together we work toward a future that is fairer, safer, and more prosperous for all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Addressing challenges is essential to achieving true equality for all women & girls
In 2026, the Clerical & Commercial Workers Union marked International Women’s Day, joining women worldwide in rallies to advocate for greater social and economic independence.
March 8, is celebrated by the Trade Union Movement as International Working Women’s Day, highlighting the theme: “Rights. Justice Action. For ALL Women and Girls”
Violence against women continues to be a significant problem across the globe and is particularly concerning in Guyana. This issue is not limited to public spaces; it frequently occurs within homes, where domestic violence impacts the physical and mental health of everyone involved. The consequences extend beyond immediate harm, as such violence prevents women from exercising their fundamental rights.
It limits their ability to participate in the workforce, support their families, and pursue a life of health and longevity without fear. Addressing violence against women is essential to ensuring that all women can fully enjoy their basic rights and live free from the threat of harm.
The conversation around gender equality continues to be a central focus in our society. We are often reminded of the importance of ensuring that women have the same rights and opportunities as human beings. Despite these ongoing discussions, there remain serious challenges affecting women’s health and well-being. Troubling statistics, such as those related to maternal mortality, highlight the urgent need to address these disparities and work toward a future where women can enjoy true equality in every aspect of life.
International Women’s Day is not only a celebration of women’s achievements but also a critical reminder of the persistent inequalities they face.
Across the globe, and in our own communities, women continue to encounter significant obstacles to equality. The fact remains that women are disproportionately affected by health crises such as HIV/AIDS, are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and are at a higher risk of living in poverty.
Furthermore, gender-based violence continues to be a harsh reality for many, limiting women’s opportunities and undermining their rights. Addressing these ongoing challenges is essential to achieving true equality for all women and girls.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Gail Teixeira, a leader for equal rights for girls & women – Dr Leslie Ramsammy
We are delighted that, as Guyana joins our sisters and brothers around the world to observe International Women’s Day, a woman proudly sits in the seat as Guyana’s acting President.
The Honorable Gail Teixeira has served as a senior government minister and as a parliamentarian for more than 34 years and has served Guyana as a fighter for freedom and democracy for over 53 years. The Permanent Mission in Guyana takes this opportunity to honor a woman of worth as we acknowledge Guyana’s leading role in the global struggle for equal rights for girls and women.
The Honorable Teixeira is one of the outstanding pioneers in Guyana’s fight for democracy and exemplifies the pivotal and architectural role that women have played in the fight for independence, freedom, and democracy. She continues to serve with vigor and dignity.
The Honorable Gail Teixeira has already earned a special place in the annals of Guyana’s history.
In the global struggle for gender equality, Guyana has a proud record. As reported in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, for gender equality, Guyana ranks 31st globally in 2025 and 1st in women’s health and survival. Globally, there is still a gap in women occupying seats in Parliament.
Guyana ranks among the countries that have made progress in reducing the gap, with its 39.4% parliamentary representation by women placing our country among those with the highest representation. About 35% of the cabinet are women. In the judiciary, 70% of the judges are women. This places Guyana at the top in the Western Hemisphere.
There are other outstanding areas showing Guyana is making dramatic steps to eliminate gaps in gender equality. For example, Guyana has made significant progress in the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer, one of the leading cancers in women and one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in women.
In this regard, Guyana has significantly increased its investment in the fight against cervical cancer and has set an ambitious timeline, 2050, for the elimination of cervical cancer. Guyana is making reasonable progress in achieving the global 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination targets for 2030 and is ahead of many developing countries.
On November 17th, 2020, member states of the WHO adopted the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination. An important outcome of the strategy is for countries to achieve an incidence rate below 4 per 100,000 women. As a first step towards reaching this goal, countries must achieve the “90-70-90” targets by 2030.
The 90-70-90 targets are 90% of girls vaccinated with the HPV vaccine before the age of 15; 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 years and again by the age of 45; and 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.
Further in empowering women, since a housing subsidy program was started by the government, 85% of housing subsidies have gone to women. It is noteworthy that women account for more than 60% of house lot distribution, the highest in Latin America. In a genuine empowerment achievement, university-level graduation is now higher among women than men.
We are delighted that Guyana is on track to commission an MSME (Micro-, Small, and Medium-Size) Bank to support small entrepreneurs. Special efforts are being made to ensure women are empowered to become business owners and access interest-free loans. Moreover, initiatives like the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) have trained over 90,000 women in fields like ICT, entrepreneurship, and technical skills.
The Mission acknowledges that, despite its valiant efforts, there are challenges in securing full gender equality in Guyana. The government, the Women and Gender Equality Commission, the Parliament, the private sector, and civil society must collaborate to eliminate the gaps that exist.
For example, national efforts must be amplified in the fight:
• Against the high rates of gender-based violence, with one out of two women reporting intimate partner violence.
• For equal labor force participation, with only 38% women participation vs. 65% for men.
The government recognizes that much more must be accomplished. For that reason, the Mission acknowledges the enactment of the Family Violence Act 2024, replacing an older law, providing for a stronger legal framework to support victims.
In providing greater access to support services, the government has established the 914 Hotline for women to safely report violence and sexual abuse, the I-Report App, and the Hope and Justice Centers. We also acknowledge the establishment of 24- hour Day Care programs to enable more women with children to build careers.
Guyana can be proud of its continued efforts to achieve gender equality. The Permanent Mission is proud because Guyana can genuinely celebrate achievements while working for a perfect landscape for gender equality. (Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Permanent Mission of Guyana in Geneva, Switzerland)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
