Women have outnumbered men in skills training programmes run by the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning over the past five years and are increasingly entering fields traditionally dominated by men, Labour Minister Keoma Griffith said.
Speaking about the ministry’s workforce development efforts, Griffith said more than 16,000 people were trained during the period, with women accounting for the majority.
“In the last five years, we’ve trained over 16,000 persons,” the minister said. “Would you believe the amount of women we have trained outranks the number of men? In the last five years, we have trained 9,331 women and we’ve trained 7,021 men.”
He said women have not only participated in large numbers but have also dominated many of the programmes, including fields traditionally seen as male-oriented.
According to Griffith, 386 women have been trained in electrical installation, while about 500 women have received training in heavy-duty equipment operation.
Women are also participating in programmes such as photovoltaic installation and repairs, tractor operation and maintenance, and welding and fabrication.
Griffith said the ministry has somewhat moved away from focusing on work historically associated with women, such as cooking and garment construction.
“What we’re saying here is that women are taking opportunities which will directly impact the transformation of Guyana,” Griffith said.
He added that women trained through government programmes are now playing an expanding role in development across the country.
