International Women’s Day 2025 is celebrated under the theme “Accelerate Action”, recognizing women’s contributions to the development process across various fields, raising awareness about gender equality while promoting empowerment for all. There is no secret as to the struggles which confronted women over the centuries to the breakthroughs of the current period. Gloria Steinem, a women’s activist reported: “The story of Women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single person nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights”. It therefore directs each and every one of us to continue to accelerate action in this regard.
The President, Executive Council and Staff of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) sends greetings to all women in Guyana, across borders and territories, on this significant day of celebration, a Happy International Women’s Day 2025. The GPSU recognizes your contributions to the growth and national development in every career, whether in the professional sciences or in the delivery of care giving, your collective efforts manifest progress.
The vision for accelerated action is sustainable empowerment, in particular young women and girls, in that they represent the future and can be the catalysts for change, releasing equal opportunities and rights for all.
Nevertheless, there is a downward shift worldwide, eroding progress in women’s rights at an alarming rate. Many threats exist in discriminatory practices and weaker legal protections, less programs and funding for supportive measures. In Guyana, there is a significant escalation in brutal murders and domestic violence perpetuated in our society, and it speaks of a wider social decline for human lives.
“When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Yet, globally, women’s human rights are under attack. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny. Together, we must stand firm in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere,” said António Guterres, UN Secretary-General.
As a Union, the GPSU has been advocating for the ratification of the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, which is an international standard, incorporating domestic violence as an overlapping feature in the work environment. Several correspondences to the Government to have this Convention ratified has so far yielded no results.
Historical factors of a patriarchal society continue to stymie women’s progress despite significant educational breakthroughs. Let us all lend our voices collectively for accelerated action in the protection of women’s rights at all levels of our society.
Happy International Women’s Day 2025.
