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Minister Persaud Highlights Guyana’s Progress on Gender Equality at 153rd IPU Assembly

ARUSHA, TANZANIA - Minister of Human Services and Social Security Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud drew attention to Guyana’s continued efforts to advance gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and protection from gender-based violence at the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Minister Persaud, who is serving her second term as a member of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, addressed the Bureau during its 56th Session on October 5. She was first elected to the Bureau to complete a four-year term and was re-elected in 2023 for a second four-year term.

In Minister Persaud’s intervention, she underscored that gender equality must translate into tangible improvements in women’s everyday lives, including safety, economic independence, access to housing, opportunities for advancement and the ability to participate meaningfully in decision-making.

She highlighted the National Gender Equality and Empowerment Seal, launched in 2025, through which 20 private-sector companies have been working to improve policies, infrastructure and working conditions while advancing training on gender equality and the prevention of sexual exploitation and harassment.

Minister Persaud outlined measures to strengthen support for survivors of gender-based violence, including gender-responsive financing, one-stop support hubs offering counselling, shelter and medico-legal assistance, a 24-hour hotline and a free mobile application. Women survivors are also benefiting from access to technical and vocational training and financing to establish businesses.

She noted that more than 30,000 persons have benefited from free technical and entrepreneurial training over the past five years, while more than 350 women-owned businesses participated in Guyana’s largest Women Entrepreneurship Expo, gaining increased visibility and access to domestic and export markets.

Turning to the care economy, Minister Persaud pointed to the launch of registration for Guyana’s Care Economy Co-Invest Programme, which combines Government financing, training and mentorship to support community-based childcare and eldercare enterprises. The initiative is intended both to create opportunities for women as entrepreneurs and care professionals and to reduce the unpaid care burden that can restrict women’s participation in employment and education.

She further reported that women received 48.3 per cent of land and housing allocations this year, while a special homestead initiative targeting single-mother families has commenced, including shade houses to support additional income generation and food security.

“These measures connect skills to income, enterprise to markets, and land ownership to greater security and independence,” Minister Persaud said.

The Minister outlined legislative and institutional measures being pursued to strengthen women’s protection and rights, including work on a Protection from Harassment Bill and amendments to the Sexual Offences Act, including provisions for a sex offenders register.

Minister Persaud stressed, “Guyana’s conviction is clear: women must have the resources, rights and decision-making power to shape our growing economy. Services must reach the most isolated woman. Training must lead to decent work. Representation must carry real influence.”

Concluding, Minister Persaud encouraged members of the Bureau to share effective practices, speak candidly about remaining gaps and learn from one another to strengthen legislation, budgets and parliamentary oversight.

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