WPO marks 50th anniversary at Red House function
Stabroek News
May 31, 2003
The Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) celebrated its 50th anniversary on Tuesday at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, Red House, and noted how much time had passed since a few women began the fight for freedom of women across Guyana.
The overarching objective of the WPO was to “meet the needs of women at both economic and political levels and to back the People’s Progres-sive Party (PPP) in the struggle for Independence,” a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said.
It noted too that the organisation was formed on May 27, 1953 shortly after the PPP had won the elections. At that time, the release said, Janet Jagan, Jessie Burnham and Jane Phillips Gay were the first women to be appointed to the Legislative Council.
And President Bharrat Jagdeo, one of the speakers at Tuesday’s event, according to GINA, promised that the government will do everything in its power to promote the rights of women in Guyana.
The President further noted that very few countries have enshrined in their constitutions measures for women’s participation in national and regional elections. On the issue of women’s rights, GINA quoted Jagdeo as saying it’s “only in an environment of freedom and democracy that women’s rights can really be honoured.”
Although women have attained significant things to date, GINA reported, there are still issues such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and violence against women that remain challenges.
The organisation began with a few women - Janet Jagan, Patricia Benn, Shirley Edwards and Philomena Sahoye-Shury - who worked to “draw attention to winning rights that women deserve.” This was all in their struggle to attain “equality of pay, promotion and life in general,” observed Mrs Jagan, former president of Guyana, GINA reported.
Some prominent women in the WPO are Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security Mitra Devi Alli, General Secretary of the WPO and former Minister of Human Services Indra Chan-darpal, Parliamentary Secre-tary Sahoye-Shury and Direc-tor of the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute, Nalini Narine, GINA noted.
Other speakers at the event included Teixeira, Patricia Benn and PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar. Also present were members of the PPP/C, the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), wife of the Prime Minister, Yvonne Hinds, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
There was also a small exhibition of the WPO’s work over the years showing cultural activities, prominent women, workshops and other activities. In addition, GINA said, a book in celebration of the 50th anniversary was also distributed to prominent women of the WPO and other invited guests.
