Leadership training course yields 126 women graduates
One hundred and twenty-six women from all walks of life on Friday last received certificates and prizes at the second graduation ceremony of the Guyana Women's Leadership Institute located on the Cove & John Public Road, East Coast Demerara. The institute, which was the brainchild of Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Indra Chandarpal, was established in 1997 with the aim of building the capacity of women and strengthening them in whatever they endeavour to do. According to Co-ordinator, Wanda Chesney, the women did courses such as personal development and career development. She said the programme has three phases, one that started last October and another which started last January. The next phase will begin this month. According to her, last year 130 students registered, but only 84 graduated. She pointed out that last year's programme was highly experimental since it was the first of its kind. The women, she said, were exposed to Guyanese history, women and gender development, small business management, quality planning, skills training and conflict resolution management. Chesney said that all these subject areas were mandatory. Computer training was also taught to the women and according to a proud Chesney out of the 76 who wrote the exams 68 gained passes. Next semester the women will be involved in more advanced computer training. The co-ordinator told Stabroek News that the response from her students was overwhelming since they were all eager to learn and went about it in a disciplined manner. She said in the last phase they had to turn some persons away because of large numbers of women who had already been registered. Only persons between the ages of 15 and 55 are allowed entrance to the institute. Classes are held every day of the week and 15 part-time teachers carry on the sessions. Chandarpal, who delivered the feature address, congratulated the women on their disciplined attitude which got them through the programmes. She pointed out that knowledge was very important and access to it vital. The minister noted that since some women had no access to education the institute had been developed to give that opportunity. The minister revealed that plans were in train to bring together women involved in cottage industries so as to provide markets for them. By doing this, she said, they are making sure that what the women learnt would not go down the drain. The certificates were presented by First Lady, Varshnie Jagdeo and also speaking at the ceremony was Mourad Wahab, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) deputy representative.
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