The Guyana Defence Force in collaboration with the United States Southern Command and Florida National Guard will host the Caribbean, Women, Peace and Security conference on Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
The conference, which forms part of the Guyana and Florida State Partnership Program, will see participation from several government and non-governmental organizations, the Joint Services, the Judiciary as well as military personnel from the U.S. and several Caribbean countries including Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.
The conference aims to increase Force’s effectiveness by providing an understanding of Women, Peace and Security implementation, operational planning and interoperability throughout the Caribbean. The conference is a follow on from the bilateral Women, Peace and Security workshop held between the Guyana Defence Force and U.S. Southern Command following Tradewinds, the U.S. Southern Command combined and joint exercise held in June 2021 in Guyana.
The conference will address an array of issues including peace and security, strategies and policies for gender integration, recruitment, training and retention, gender discrimination, women in leadership, disaster relief operations, sexual harassment, trafficking in persons and migration.
The keynote speakers at the event include First Lady Arya Ali, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira, U.S. Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, Commander U.S. Southern Command General Laura Richardson, Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice Roxanne George.
The partnership between the Florida National Guard, United States Southern Command and Guyana is a critical component of the security cooperation between the U.S. and Guyana.
