July 23, 2025 |
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GCCI President emphasises need for women to be empowered for inclusion
On July 18, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Kathy Smith attended a National Stakeholder Consultation by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in collaboration with the Office of the Resident Coordinator, the British High Commission and the Women and Gender Equality Commission. This event was hosted under the theme “30 Years of Action, 5 Years to Deliver: Advancing Gender Equality for a Just Future” at the British High Commissioner’s residence.
This event was geared towards fostering conversations on gender equality and women’s rights and providing a strategic platform to highlight and strengthen women’s roles in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and resilience-building.
Mrs. Smith, in contributing to the discourse, spoke of the evolving economy and the opportunities for women—both in employment and entrepreneurship. She highlighted that close to 50 percent of the Chamber’s members are women-owned and women-led businesses while pointing out developments in the sector that benefit these businesses such as invoice factoring for financing.
Mrs. Smith spoke of the need for businesses to be more structured. “If you want to be sustainable and enjoy longevity, you have to put yourself out there,” she stated, adding that standards of operation and service, as well as marketing are important aspects for consideration.
She added that women need to be resilient in pursuing opportunities and empowered to take their seat at the table. “We are one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and we cannot run from that. We need to continue conversations like this so that we can ensure that Guyanese can continue to benefit,” she iterated.
