Recent Posts
Academic success must translate into real empowerment and leadership opportunities for women and girls, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud said on Wednesday.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 edition of the Guyana Women and Girls Summit, Persaud said Guyana has made significant progress toward gender equality in education, noting that the country has achieved almost complete gender parity at the primary and secondary levels.
She said girls are increasingly excelling beyond those stages, with the trend becoming even more pronounced at the tertiary level.
“We see it multiplying outwardly and amplifying,” the minister said, explaining that women are graduating from the University of Guyana in greater numbers than men, a pattern that has continued for several years.
Persaud said the strong academic performance of women must be matched by greater empowerment and leadership opportunities.
“With that emergence should come empowerment,” she added.
The minister also highlighted the growing participation of women in national scholarship programmes, revealing that 73 percent of scholarships offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) have been utilised by women.
She described the figure as a positive sign that women and girls are taking advantage of opportunities to advance their education and skills.
Persaud said continued investment in women’s education is essential to Guyana’s development, noting that empowered women play a key role in strengthening families, communities and the national economy.
The summit brought together representatives from government, the private sector, diplomatic missions and civil society to discuss issues affecting women and girls and promote policies and initiatives aimed at ensuring they are safe, visible and supported in all areas of society.
