Jocelyn Dow: Champion of Forest Stewardship and Women’s Empowerment

By Romona Baxter- Black History Month (Guyana) calls us to honour those whose lives have expanded the boundaries of leadership, courage and national responsibility. Among them stands a woman whose journey bridges enterprise and activism, forest and forum, grassroots struggle and global advocacy. Her work reflects not only personal achievement, but a sustained commitment to justice, sustainability and the empowerment of others.

A trailblazer. An entrepreneur. A political activist. An advocate for ecological accountability.

Her life and work reflect a rare fusion of independence, entrepreneurship, and principled activism. Having experienced the forest firsthand as a rainforest dweller and timber merchant, she developed an intimate understanding of both the economic value and the fragility of Guyana’s natural resources.

Over time, she emerged as a leading advocate for ecologically sensitive and ethical development, representing Guyana not only nationally, but within the Caribbean and at the United Nations. Her founding of Liana Cane Interiors further reflects this philosophy, demonstrating how sustainable, ethically produced non-timber forest products can support livelihoods while respecting the environment.

She is also among the founding members of the Red Thread Women’s Development Organization, created during a period of widening constraints on women’s lives in post-independence Guyana. Distinguished in that founding group as a businesswoman, she helped shape a model that organised grassroots women across divides of race, class, and geography—linking income generation with education, research, and community empowerment—while challenging the male-centered political culture of the time.

As Chairperson of the Guyana Forestry Commission, she has fought for accountability, enforcement of forestry governance, and the recovery of public funds. Her leadership reflects a deliberate, principled, and systems-minded stewardship of Guyana’s forests—committed not only to regulation, but to restoration, transparency, and long-term national interest.

On the day of Black History Month (Guyana), I present trailblazer and businesswoman, Jocelyn Dow.

Dow’s legacy is rooted not only in what she has built, but in what she has protected and transformed. From empowering women at the grassroots to championing ecological integrity on the national stage, her life embodies the power of conviction married to action. In celebrating her during Black History Month (Guyana), we honour a vision of leadership grounded in courage, accountability and an unwavering commitment to country.

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