Dolores Refutes Claims from Senator Peyrefitte on NWC

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

Today, we received a response to Senator Peyrefitte’s comments from Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development. She outrightly rejected the notion that the commission is being used as a means to employ political cronies. Here is how she puts it.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“I was disappointed to year the lead opposition Senator say why do you have a National Women’s Commission and all the members are appointed by the minister. Well, this is the administration that is in the office. And why wouldn’t the minister appoint to the National Women’s Commission which is so important on gender issues. And let me point out for the record, it is not jobs for cronies. It is not jobs for cronies. Every single member of the national Women’s Commission, which is now a statutory body, serves without pay. It is a completely voluntary thing. So it is not jobs for cronies. The chairperson gets a small stipend for the responsibility, what you call the responsibility allowance. And of course, if a member of the commission has to come from Toledo or Corozal, you will cover the food and transportation, but it is on a voluntary basis. I am sure that Senator Peyrefitte wasn’t worried when in the time of the UDP, everybody was appointed by the UDP government. I can think of some very good persons, Ann Marie Williams, Esther Ayuso, many people serve with distinction and I will never put down those women because they had the gender issues of our country at heart.”