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–  Guyanese Women’s Roundtable By Jeanna Pearson They do not want to stand behind men anymore; instead they want to stand side by side in the decision-making process of Guyana’s local government system. Thus, ten women will be contesting for seats in the Georgetown municipality in the upcoming March 18 Local Government Elections.(from left) GWR members Dawn Braithwaite, Roslyn Wade, Dawn Stewart, Pamela Welch and Denise Mitchell.These women were encouraged by the Guyanese Women’s Roundtable (GWR).The GWR is a non-governmental organization that advocates for female empowerment,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, women’s rights and protection of women and children.The GWR has been treading through the regions, encouraging women to take up active leadership roles and participate in the impending local government elections. Influence of women in the Guyanese politics and local government arenas has been little to none, with very few women stepping up in the country’s decision-making process.After 21 years, the long overdue Local Government Elections were finally set for March 18, 2016. They were last held in 1994, despite the constitution clearly stipulating that they should be held every three years; the extensive delay due to reforms agreed to by the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and the People’s National Congress. The last bits of legislation were passed in 2015.The Guyanese Women’s Roundtable members, yesterday in a press briefing, voiced their concerns that women are failing to exercise their rights to partake in the decision-making process of the country. They indicated that women should build some confidence and move away from being the elector to being nominee.“Women in Guyana are the majority of voters, yet we fail to exercise our franchise thus reducing our capacity to leverage our power to change our lives and the lives of our families,” said GWR member Roslyn Wade.She stated that the group, though limited by time, is seeking to increase the number of women from various communities who are actively informed by and engaged in, local government decision-making.She said that the GWR believes that it is necessary that officials create a more inclusive municipal decision making system, which includes the participation of women from different communities in advisory committees, local agencies, boards, and commissions.She added that it is just as significant for women to demand a space at the decision making table and not sit “idly by as decisions are made that affect their lives and the lives of their grandchildren and great grandchildren”.The members said that some women lack the confidence needed to join in the arena of local governance. Dr Dawn Stewart said that even though women are good at voting and mobilizing people, they do not feel confident enough to hold a high position in local governance.She stated that most women would prefer to serve in positions where they have to deal with social activities and services related to care giving such as child care and nutrition.“It is very difficult to get them to occupy a position in management or leadership either because men would not let them or because they lack not only confidence but also the skills needed,” Stewart added.She said that most of them were preoccupied with taking care of their families. Hence, she posited that it was imperative for the group to develop detailed instruction action plans to target women in all regions and strengthen their self-esteem, thereby providing them with the necessary skills to be able to understand such local policies as budget, strategic plans, community development, and community analysis.She said that women’s involvement in direct elections has been proven to exhibit a more open culture that is responsive to changing social realities and the grit of women to become a part of mainstream politics rather than merely earning a seat.She said the GWR believes that the performance of these women in the local councils will develop the perception about women’s ability to contribute in governance and produce results for their constituencies.She added that local governance is central to any strategy aimed at improving security and stability, and to prevent village disintegration.Thus, it is essential that unified local governments are formed and work toward representing the needs of their constituencies, while at the same time providing a platform for citizens to be involved in the planning, execution and monitoring of public service delivery, she said, adding that it was therefore imperative that women are represented in local governments and are coached to be successful leaders.She disclosed that the GWR will be hosting several issues forums in Regions One, Four and Seven so that the electors will be able to interact with the female contestants. She stated that the GWR refuses to limit themselves to recruiting only ten contestants and will continue to advocate  for more women to join them from the other seven regions and pave the way to representing their communities at the elections.“Not only do we want women but we want women that are qualified and know what is best to run their communities,” Stewart added.According to a statement from the GWR, women’s involvement in local government and advocacy could lead to the passage and or adjustments of several pieces of legislations and policies affecting women in the bigger picture.It stated that the activities of local government affect both men and women in ways that are fundamental to satisfying basic needs and quality of life, and that women are not privileged equal access to control basic services provided by local government because they continue to be under- represented in both political leadership and administration at the local level.Stewart said that it was imperative to understand the effects of an ineffective local government system and that impact it has on the lives of citizens. Therefore, she stated that it was also important to understand gender roles and responsibilities and promote its equality through the establishment of policies and programs.She said that establishing women’s group with a mandate to provide leadership increases women’s potential in political involvement and improve gender equality outcomes in local government.Local government elections will be held in nine towns and 62 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).