The Plan to Decrease Gender-Based Violence

The National Women’s Commission, the Secretariat of the National Gender-Based Violence Committee, today launched the Plan of Action 2017-2010 as the country’s national response to Gender Base Violence. This 2017-2020 plan is seen as a strengthening of the previous plan. This one lays out a three year framework in how to effectively decrease gender base violence and provide better support to victims. Anne-Marie Williams of the National Women’s Commission explains.

Ann-Marie Williams

Ann-Marie Williams, Executive Director, National Women’s Commission

“Over the years, a lot of work has been done in gender base violence, but sometimes it has been done in silos and knowing that we have to apply the multi-sectoral approach makes us realize that we have to bring together the Ministries of Education, Ministry of Human Development, the Police, the Gender Base Violence Unit and the civil society, young persons, and at the same time co-op people as the need may arise. So, fighting gender base violence is not the job for one person or one organization but the multi-sectoral approach has been a best practice across the world to make sure that gender base violence is reduced.”

Andrea Polanco

“Can you talk to us about some of those specific ways the plan outlines how we are going to address gender base violence in Belize?”

Ann-Marie Williams

“Well, we it talks about coordinated services and action. Take for example, people will say where you get all the monies from? I must say that government has made a commitment not just because gender base violence is important but over the past years G.O.B. had signed on to a number of international instruments and commitments to strengthen their work in GBV. Belem Do Para is paramount and it talks about the zero tolerance approach to GBV and it outlines activities, it outlines support services. And take for example, somebody has been raped in Dangriga, the police would be notified and the police would immediately call the social worker from Human Development and they would ensure that the person gets to the hospital and the person from Health would ensure that the person gets taken care of immediately. If there is a victim of rape or other sexual assault, that person must not be waiting in the emergency area with other people and just taking their long, slow time, no, that is not how it works. And so everybody will do their part along the chain of coordination to ensure that that person gets the right attention and in a timely fashion. So, that is exactly how it will work.”