Guyanese Karen de Souza receives Sabga award

KarenGeorgetown: Guyanese Karen de Souza was one of the three recipients of the 2014 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence.

Recipients of the 2014 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards For Excellence were Professor Liam Teague, Karen de Souza and Dr Richard Robertson. The awards were presented at the National Academy for The Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of- Spain, on Saturday evening.

Among those in the audience were Finance and the Economy Minister Larry Howai and A Norman Sabga, group chairman and CEO of the Ansa McAL Group of Companies.

De Souza is co-founder of the advocacy organisation Red Thread which supports victims of rape, domestic and other violence among the lowest-waged sectors of women in Guyana. She is a pioneer in public education, having scripted and produced videos and drama on domestic violence and sexual abuse.

De Souza is a women’s and children’s rights activist from Guyana. Her role in Red Thread has seen her pushing for improved service and support, education, and advocacy for victims of rape and domestic and other forms of violence and for the lowest-waged sectors of women.

De Souza and Red Thread have also been doing research and contributing to the drafting of laws and training for judicial officers to support the protection of women and children and victims of human trafficking.

Since starting Red Thread in 1986, de Souza has worked tirelessly for the organisation in an entirely voluntary capacity. The organization has been providing services like face-to-face counselling in a drop-in centre for women and children and survivors of rape and abuse, and enabled the rescue of victims of domestic violence.

The organization has participated in court proceedings, legislative initiatives and international conferences on women’s and children’s welfare.

The award would come almost two years after the activist was also nominated by the US Embassy in Guyana for the “International Women of Courage Award”.

The awards were for women who have shown exceptional bravery and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk. Their stories represent just a few of the emerging leaders found in every corner of the world, the US Embassy had explained.

The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence (ANSCAFE) is the English-speaking Caribbean’s leading recognition programme in Arts, Sciences, and Public and Civic Work.