Former activist tries to revive women’s political group
It’s like trying to take the sugar out of the cake, but a recently resurrected women’s organization is crusading to catapult the fairer sex into a more prominent role in the nation’s leadership. Former political activist for the People’s United Party Dorla Bowman is inviting women, irrespective of their party affiliation to join her in breathing new life into the Belize National Women’s Non-partisan Political Caucus. While in the early going it looks like a one woman project, Bowman says its about time that the women of this country stand up and be counted.
Dorla Bowman, Pres., Women’s Political Caucus
“The major objective at this point in time is re-educating people pertaining to the political role that women should be playing and will be playing in the future. And one of our long term objective is to identify progressive women for party political appointments and positions, giving them the support and endorsement that they need.”
Q: “At one time, you were heavily affiliated with the People’s United Party. How difficult would it be for any woman to take you seriously as being non-partisan?”
Dorla Bowman
“Well that is up to the women to say. I have been, since 1993, I have been out on academic studies. I decided that it’s important to get my credentials and I successfully completed my first and second degrees. I have not been active the way I used to be in party politics. And nothing is wrong with being a party political person, because the caucus, one of the reasons why we say non-partisan is because the caucus embraces women from all political parties.”
Q: “Does Belize at this time need another women’s organization?”
Dorla Bowman
“Belize at this time needs a women’s political caucus, a non-partisan women’s political caucus. This is one of the major mechanisms to get progressive women integrated at all levels of the democracy.”
The National Women’s Non-partisan Political Caucus has dispatched a document to the office of Prime Minister Said Musa, recommending that a minimum of thirty percent of appointees to key leadership positions in the public service be women. Bowman says the appointment of Sylvia Flores as Speaker of the House and Beth Zabaneh as President of the Senate is a step in the right direction.
