WALTON-DESIR: “WOMEN IN POLITICS FACE DOUBLE STANDARDS”
By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News
Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir, has spoken candidly about the challenges faced by women in politics and leadership, describing the experience as one filled with double standards and societal bias.
Her remarks follow a public statement issued by the Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC) last week, which was made in response to tensions between coalition partners. Walton-Desir said the reaction to her leadership underscores the patriarchal nature of Guyanese society, where assertive women are often viewed negatively compared to their male counterparts.
“The patriarchal nature of our society does not accommodate women being firm, being principled, and sitting in their truth,” she asserted. “When a woman is confident, it’s perceived a certain way. Confidence in a man, however, is seen as being self-assured.”
The FGM leader emphasized that women in politics are often expected to be accommodating and deferential, a dynamic she believes must change if Guyana is to advance toward true gender equality in leadership.
“We’ve grown accustomed to women being the ones that move aside. But the time has come for all of that to change,” Walton-Desir said.
She described herself as a “beacon of hope and disruptor” to the existing political order, pledging to continue challenging the status quo and advocating for greater inclusion of women in positions of authority.
“Now is not the time to sit down and allow the status quo to continue,” she declared. “I will push aggressively for the change that is needed.”
Walton-Desir’s comments add to the growing conversation about gender representation and equality in Guyanese politics, where women leaders continue to navigate deeply entrenched cultural barriers.
