Latest update March 28th, 2025 1:00 AM
Latest News
- “It will be a very bad day for Venezuelan if they attack Guyana or ExxonMobil”—Rubio declares
- Guyana gets info on U.S. tax evasion allegations against Mohameds, Mae Thomas
- US$35 injected into banking system to address foreign currency shortage—VP Jagdeo
- Citizens to stage protest today against lack of access to information in Guyana
- Guyana vows to stand with U.S.
Red Thread demands better working conditions for women
Three years after Deborah Andrews retired as a domestic help she was
Deborah Andrews displays her scars on her wrists
diagnosed with tendonitis. Andrews suffered severe pains in her wrists for approximately 18 months, and only in March this year, she underwent her first surgery to the left wrist. The surgery to her right wrist was done two weeks ago.
With fresh scars and stitches, Andrews joined her fellow members of Red Thread, yesterday, in a picketing exercise on Regent Street demanding better conditions for women in Guyana.
Having worked her hands tirelessly for years – cooking, cleaning and washing for a meagre $500 per day, Andrews displayed a placard, “Women in cook shops need living income.”
The overuse of her hands, particularly the wrists, resulted in her tendons becoming inflamed.
Andrews recounted that she started her career as a domestic help in her 20s to provide for her two children. The proud single parent sent her two children to school on the paltry sum she was paid “by lawyers, doctors, magistrates and persons in high society”.
While, Andrews is fortunate to retire and have her daughters care for her, Red Thread is advocating for better conditions and equality for those facing challenges in the workforce.
Strategically standing at the junction of Regent and Cummings Streets, where the Labour Day Parade passed to go to the National Park, the members held their placards reading, “Mothers Produce and Reproduce the Labour Force;” “We demand a living income for all mothers and caregivers;” and “$10,000 OAP is less bad but still not enough.”
Some members of the parade stopped and read the placards acknowledging the plights and others shouted, “Is APNU saying that!”
According to the Founder of Red Thread, Karen De Souza, equality for women in Guyana cannot be measured by the few female executives and those in high position, since many women in Guyana are low income earners.
She emphasized that society does not recognize the fact that one public sector salary cannot meet the financial needs of a family. This has forced mothers to leave their children unprotected to find means to
Members of Red Thread demand better working conditions
supplement the family’s earnings.
De Souza stressed that society needs to recognize women’s plights and make the necessary arrangements. She added that it is disappointing that the 2012 national budget and economic planning do not cater for the protection and growth of women.
“Equality for us is a situation where women are able to make a choice. If you want to go into the work force you can or if you want to stay home and care for your children the society provides for you to that… If you don’t have the choice then you can’t say we are equal,” De Souza said.
She pointed out that another argument that is used to justify equality in Guyana is the higher rate of females completing secondary and tertiary level education than males.
“We don’t see the numbers of women leaving the university reflective in those taking up high paying positions in the work place. Something is going on there and if we are serious about equality, we have to see what is going on and make the necessary arrangements.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPP has started the intimidation
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- In politics, as in life, what goes around comes around. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic... more
The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?
By Sir Ronald Sanders For decades, many Caribbean nations have grappled with dependence on a small number of powerful countries... more
Weekend Cartoon
