The International Day of the Girl is a special day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness of girls’ rights around the world. In advance of the 6th International Day of the Girl, the High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee, challenged Prime Minister Moses V. Nagamootoo to join her in participating in Plan International Canada’s #GirlsBelongHere initiative. Prime Minister Nagamootoo rose to the challenge! On October 10, 2017, both he and Chatterjee shared their offices with two young women as part of the global advocacy campaign to show that girls and young women belong in such key decision-making positions – and anywhere else they may set their sights on.
Nagamootoo who has the portfolio of governance and human rights noted that globally the rights of girls and women have not always been respected. He remarked that “the right to information and the right to be part of the decision-making process at the highest levels are important factors for all women and for society as a whole. Therefore, the opportunity to bring recognition to the importance of girls in society is one to fully embrace.”
High Commissioner for a day, SherryAnna Balkaran, meets and Prime Minister for a Day, Martina Nedd.
He shared his office with 19-year-old Martina Nedd. Ms. Nedd is currently interning at the Office of the Prime Minister as part of the practical application of her studies at the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service and aspires to work in the field of finance. She called her surprise role as Prime Minister for a Day an exciting opportunity that she will remember for the rest of her life.
The High Commission on the other hand organized a social media competition highlighting Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and asked interested candidates to explain how a feminist approach to development could help girls overcome existing barriers to success. High Commissioner Chatterjee shared that it was a tough decision as the submissions were quite remarkable. Ultimately, however, there could only be one winner: Ms. SherryAnna Balkaran.
High Commissioner Chatterjee believes that achieving gender equality requires transforming unequal power relations and challenging social norms that limit opportunities for women and girls and restrict men and boys to specific roles. “Everyone has a role to play in making gender equality a reality,” she told Balkaran in her hand over meeting Tuesday morning.
Twenty-year-old SherryAnna Balkaran hails from Paramakatoi and just last week won the Heritage crown 2017. Referring to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, Balkaran said, “I must commend the Canadian Government for adopting such a policy and recognizing that we, women, have rights as well. Universally women are being suppressed. I’ve noticed it first-hand in the indigenous communities that I’ve visited and so, I hope to make a difference in the world. I hope to encourage others to do the same.”