British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller has urged Guyanese women to champion each other, and in doing so, stand up against online abuse.

In alluding to the theme for International Women’s Day – “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality” – the British High Commissioner said while technology has positively transformed the lives of persons across the globe, it is important to also recognize its risks.  

“For many people, posting on social media can be empowering, it can be fun, it can be good but it can also be abusive,” she said.

At the time, the British High Commissioner was delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Health’s Women’s Health Village at the Guyana Police Force’s Training Centre.

Noting that technology must be used for good, the British High Commissioner urged that Guyanese women to collectively say no to online bullying, and be drivers of change in society.

“When you see abuse online, when you see people slandering other people, saying negative comments on social media, as a woman you should stand up and empower that individual and really try to turn things around,” the High Commissioner urged, while adding that, “people’s mental health is being damaged these days because of digital, because of online abuse, online bullying. We need to also remember not only our physical health but also think about our mental health and how we can support one another.” 

 Meanwhile, she said as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, the UK Government is unveiling its new Women and Girls’ Strategy aimed at educating girls, empowering girls, and ending gender-based violence.

The Director of Primary Health Care Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ertensia Hamilton, urged the women present to pay more attention to their health and well-being.

She said while women continue to make significant strides locally, regionally and internationally, many of them are guilty of taking their health for granted.

“We have to know our numbers. We have to know our status. If we don’t know our numbers, we don’t know our status,” Dr Hamilton told the women.

She explained that while the life expectancy for women in Guyana has increased from 67 years in 2013 to 73 years in 2020, women can live much longer if there are aware of the status of their health.

“In Guyana very young women continue to die from cervical cancer; very young women continue to die from breast cancer. When was the last time you had your VIA or pop smear done? I am telling you this, why? Women from the age of at least 30 to 45 make up the highest number of women in our country, that is dying from cervical cancer,” the Director of Primary Health Care Services reasoned.   

Dr Hamilton said with the Government constantly upgrading the country’s Healthcare Sector with use of modern technologies, Guyanese women ought to take advantage of the various services.

“The Health Sector is moving forward; we are bringing a lot more innovative, technological equipment and services at your finger tip. You can just slip across to your health facilities, and get some of these things done. The mammogram is in the country, ultrasound machines are in the country. You can go anywhere in Georgetown and ask for your VIA to be done and you can get it done,” she said.

 It was pointed out that in the Hinterland, women are increasingly having access to services similar to those offered on the coastland with the introduction of TeleMedicine.

Last December, the Ministry of Health launched a TeleMedicine Clinic in Masakenari (Gunns Village) in South Rupununi, Region Nine.

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