The event was hosted by the Parliament of Guyana, as part of International Women’s Day celebrations under the theme: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.
Members of the diplomatic community, Parliamentarians, and other officials were also present.
Minister Rodrigues stated that globally women and girls have limited access to technology. Despite making up more than half of the population and being the group, most impacted by policies and programmes, she also pointed out that women and girls are frequently excluded from decision-making processes.
Nevertheless, she highlighted that in the past few years, the President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led Administration has made significant strides in attaining gender parity in Guyana, as housing, education, and training etc. are now more accessible to women and girls.
In fact, the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum ranked Guyana 35th out of 146 countries on gender parity, which is 18 levels higher than the country’s 53rd position in 2021.
As such, the minister called on more females to take up leadership positions. While there is still much to do in order to attain equality, she posited that women must pursue financial independence and higher education in order to expedite the journey.
Significantly, Minister Rodrigues emphasised that women who are able to climb the scale must assist others who are seeking to elevate. (Department of Public Information)