and the GWLI has not lost sight of this.According to the administrator

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An aggressive programme to empower grassroots women to take up leadership roles within their communities will this year be pursued by the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI).Ms. Tricia WatsonThis is according to GWLI Coordinator, Ms. Tricia Watson, who disclosed that the strategic venture will also seek to support gender-based violence victims. Moreover, she informed that during the first quarter of 2016, GWLI will be pushing a “gender-focused education and training programme for women in Government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private sector companies in order to promote gender awareness and equity.”She said, too, that during the January to March period, the institute, which is an arm of the Ministry of Social Protection, also wants to “enable the full participation of women in leadership and decision-making processes in society, thereby contributing to the equitable and sustainable development of Guyana.”With Guyana being a former British Colony, the country’s women have always been a central part of the economic fortunes of the country, and the GWLI has not lost sight of this.According to the administrator, the first quarter training initiatives will “build and strengthen the capacity of underprivileged and single parent women to ensure they are “equipped to participate in all levels of decision-making processes, and influence decisions that affect their lives within their families and at the local and community levels.”Watson is also optimistic about an increased understanding of the ramifications of “gender equality and equity” to be etched within the consciousness and practices of all Guyanese.Moreover, as part of the 2016 plan, there will be a hike in training programmes to boost economic opportunities, income generation and poverty reduction among under-privileged women, Watson assured.She said that the GWLI will also “develop and implement structured gender-focused education and leadership-training programmes for women” across the country. The GWLI will also undertake skills-training programmes for underprivileged and single-parent women to boost their economic empowerment.There will also be organised Community Volunteer Training Programmes (CVTPs) to help develop a corps of Guyanese with the requisite skills “to provide support for victims of gender-based violence, Watson disclosed.As part of the menu of measures, the GWLI will implement “improved collaborative initiatives (with) the Women’s Affairs Bureau (WAB) and the National Documentation and Resource Centre for Gender and Development,” Watson said.