Guyanese people make some eye contact when they talk with each other. Many people gesture with their hands to get their point across. We leave a fair amount of space between us and the person we are talking to. Guyanese people tend to be direct in a conversation. We usually say what is on our minds.
From a young age, Guyanese children are taught to respect their elders. In many families it is common for children to refer to any older person as uncle or auntie. If someone is older than us, we have to treat them well. If they request help, we have to get them whatever they need. If they tell our parents that we are disrespectful, that will make our parents look bad and it will make our family lose face.
In public life, men and women are seen as equal. There are many women serving in high positions in the Guyanese government. In general, more men work outside the home than women, so men have more power to make decisions in the family. However, this really depends on the dynamics of the particular family relationship. Men and women do not touch each other while talking. Teenagers are not supposed to show physical displays of affection in public. If students break this rule, they will get a one month suspension from school.
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Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.1%
15-64 years: 68.6%
65 years and over: 5.3%