Mrs Chandarpal made this observation last Tuesday during a ceremony at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre to mark the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Progressive Organisation, which is the women’s arm of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In pointing out the resilience of women in the political struggle when the opposition was regarded as “enemies of the state” Chandarpal remarked that no task was too great for the women.

With the return to freedom and democracy, she noted, the opportunity is being steadily created for women to uplift themselves. However, she remarked, while there is a lot to celebrate, several new challenges have arisen which are impacting negatively on the society and organisations such as the WPO. Among these, she said, is the migration problem.

General Secretary of the PPP, Mr Donald Ramotar, described the contribution of the WPO to the political struggle as a “job well done”. He recalled that the barrier was broken in 1953, when Mrs. Jagan, Ms. Jessie Burnham and Ms. Jane Philips-Gay became the first women to sit in the Legislative Assembly following the triumph of the PPP at the polls held for the first time under Adult Suffrage.

Ramotar contended that the development of a society can be measured by the degree of participation of women in its affairs

He also observed that the WPO stood firmly beside the PPP during the difficult period between 1964 and 1992 making an extremely important contribution to the struggle for the return to freedom and democracy.

Mrs Patricia Benn, who was Chairperson of the WPO between 1957 and 1965, acknowledged the role of the organization in mobilizing the women in the anti-colonial struggle. She described the situation then as being “extremely difficult”.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Ms Gail Teixeira, who is an executive member of the WPO, asserted that the WPO is the oldest women’s organization in the Caribbean that has been involved in championing the rights and struggles of women.

She said the WPO played an integral part in the struggle for the restoration of freedom and democracy.

First Secretary of the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), Dr. Frank Anthony, acknowledged the vanguard role of women in the struggle “to lift mental chains” and their tenacity in the struggle to improve the economic and social conditions of women in Guyana.