First lady, Arya Ali has noted that the country continues to make notable progress in the advancements of women and girls, even as she has cited institutional weaknesses and cultural norms as major setbacks to ensuring a just society for women and girls in Guyana.

First Lady Arya Ali made the comments as she was addressing hundreds of persons at the annual International Women’s Day walk.

The First Lady said while Government and civil society are forging ahead to ensure that women and girls are treated equally and are respected, there are still challenges that must be confronted.

“Institutional weaknesses and cultural norms, which reinforce patriarchy continue to undermine the gains that we have made over the years. Intimate partner violence for instance continue to rob families of mothers, daughters and sisters, leaving grief that reverberates across our communities and our nation. The numbers of killings which result from domestic violence or intimate partner violence is a stark reminder of the hard work which lies ahead,” the First lady noted.

First Lady Ali noted that her Office has been leading the way in support of women advancements, noting that her sanitary pad initiative has touched more than 30,000 girls, while her office has facilitated more than 2,000 scholarships for women.

“Here in Guyana, at the level of government and civil society, there is no doubt that we are committed to build a better country  for women and girls, through legislative reforms, policy initiatives, programess that empower them, improve safety and expand economic opportunities,” Mrs. Ali said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Keoma Griffith, who also spoke at the event, called on men to be protectors of women.

“We have a lot of work to do because as men we ought to be protectors of our women. Women continue to work hard and I want you know as a Minister of government and member of cabinet, we see your hard work, we see your resilience, we see your leadership and today we celebrate with you,” Griffith noted.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindya Persaud urged women to be proud of the gains they have made, irrespective of how small those gains are.

“To all the men who support us every day, to all the men who are out allies, to all the men who make with us a formidable team, we thank you. As we continue to celebrate the day and the month, I wish that you see yourselves as leader as leaders, as champions as advocates and I wish that you see yourselves with all the confident in world,” Minister Persaud said.

This year’s International Women’s Day is being celebrated under the theme:  “Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls”.

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