- Young influential Gaskin-Peters tells young women
Born and raised in the areas of North Ruimveldt and Campbeville is Natasha Gaskin - Peters who is now one of the most influential women playing a major role in ensuring local benefits from the oil and gas sector.
She is an economist and Director of the Centre for Local Business Development.
When News Update spoke with her she reflected that growing up in a single-parent household was challenging. Despite this, her mother was a guiding force who kept pushing her towards her goals.
“Growing up I never thought that I would be in the oil and gas industry. I come from a single-parent household, a single mother raising three girls and really emphasising the importance of education and what education can do for young women so at just the tender age of 13-14 I developed the love for economics, so I went on to do my Bachelor’s degree in economics as well as my Master’s and PhD in economics.”
Ms Gaskin-Peters completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Guyana and while she completed her Master’s and Doctorate degrees at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
Ms Gaskin-Peters, who is a graduate of The Bishops’ High School also credits some of her success to where she got her secondary school education. She accredits her drive and ethics to her teachers.
“The discipline that is reinforced in that environment. So I would say a lot of my mentors came from that school, lots of teachers that would have influenced my pathway.”
Gaskin-Peters is a mother of two and she said it can be challenging at times to balance her work and personal life but she is advising young women in her field to “keep pushing.”
“You have to ensure that you have that balance. I think having a support system is very important. I get great support from my mother. I think also within a partnership there needs to be a balance between the wife and the household as well as the husband because there are times when you have to do that long hours and you have to push your career because of course women can do anything men can do.”
She said one change she would like to see in society towards women is cultural diversification. She explained that many times women are prone to believe they are lower than men. However, she posited that is not the case.
The young director is also encouraging women to push towards their dreams and break the gender bias.
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