Women and Gender Equality Commission calls on Health Minister to resign

The Women and Gender Equality Commission has joined the long list of organisations that are pressing Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsarran to resign from office over his verbal attack on women’s rights activist Sherlina Nageer.

In a Monday afternoon statement, the Commission said it is dismayed at the comments made in the recent outburst by Minister of Health Dr.Bheri Ramsarran, which was directed at activist Ms. Sherlina Nageer at the Whim Police Station.

“Despite claims that he was goaded into such an outburst, he should have acted with restraint, recognising that he is a public officer. All Guyanese have a constitutional right to ask questions of public officers, as much as those officers have a right to answer those questions in an appropriate manner.”

The Commission said Dr. Ramsarran’s reaction was uncalled for and his remarks are unacceptable for any person – far more so coming from a Minister of Government.

“He must face the full consequences of his actions and offer his resignation as the decent thing to do”, the Commission added.

It said no woman, or any person, deserves to be treated in the manner of his outburst and called on all Guyanese to join in the condemnation of his actions, and the actions of “any person that seeks to degrade our women.”

Last Monday, the Health Minister went on a verbal rant against the women’s rights activist threatening to slap and strip her, after she repeatedly questioned him about the high number of cases of maternal deaths. At one stage, he told the activist to “eff off” as he called her an idiot for interrupting his roadside conversation with some Berbice reporters.