P.U.P. presents women’s agenda
It is an issue that is yet to emerge from the clutter of the 2003 campaign, but the People’s United Party believes that its past accomplishments and future plans on behalf of the nation’s women will be an important factor on March fifth. This morning I was on had at the Radisson when the P.U.P. presented its case.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
To an audience overflowing primarily with females, this morning the People’s United Party presented its Women’s Agenda for 2003-2008. Entitled, Beginning steps; Great progress…Enriching the lives of Belizean women, it is the second such document produced by the P.U.P. According to Minister of Women, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, success stories from that 1998 agenda include legislation mandating equal wages for both sexes, property rights for common law spouses, and the appointment of women to key leadership positions.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Min. of Women
“The one that stands out the most and that I personally feel most proud of, and I think our party and government is most proud of, is the recognition of the economic value on care of the home, care of children, nurturing, mothering, etcetera. Because even though that economic value might not kick in until there’s a separation or a divorce, the very fact that you are recognizing that, means that you cannot go back and take away that recognitions after you have done so.”
But recognizing that plenty of work still needs to be done, today, the P.U.P. read off their list of plans for empowering even more Belizean women over the next five years.
Merilyn Young, Women’s Agenda Group
“The People’s United Party will one, increase access of loans to women on non-conventional terms, especially for low income women through organizations like the small farmers and business bank.”
Samira Musa Pott, Women’s Agenda Group
“Amend the law to allow the courts to order that D.N.A. and blood tests be performed on persons without the need for their consent in cases of paternity, rape and other sexual offences.”
Lita Krohn, Women’s Agenda Group
“Strengthen and increase educational programs for dropout girls and young mothers, and put in place a curriculum with meaningful courses that will make students more conscious about gender equality and have mutual respect for both genders.”
Other areas include recommendations to establish family courts in every municipality and a family division at the Supreme Court level. But the highlights of the list were bread and butter issues concerning custody disputes and new programs to ensure collection of maintenance.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
“There was a spontaneous applause when we made commitments to amending some of the systems at the family court. For example, there is discussion of possible privatisation of collection services for the maintenance of children. Just on the way over here I was recalling that I spoke to a young lady the other day, we took her to get registered to vote and she was saying that she cannot collect her maintenance of her child, and interestingly, the father of the child is a police officer. And so you can see Janelle, that there is still discrimination in our society and its taking it out of the child; and we are here to say that the work must continue.”
And today, the P.U.P. began that work, pledging that within its own national party council, female participation would be increased to at least thirty percent. According to Prime Minister Said Musa, other proposed changes will start at the beginning, in the classroom.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“The educational system is a part of the problem. It tends to stereotype gender in a certain way, in the training you get. That is changing, and we need to continue with that so that the women can take any role in society, that the men have traditionally held in the past. There are a few of course, for biological reasons we will always have this difference, but I think we need to understand that there are differences between men and women, healthy differences. There are certain attitudinal changes that will have to take place however, in terms of recognizing the worth of women.”
“People ask well why all this talk about women’s rights and all this? The truth of the matter is that if you look at it objectively, our women, particularly in the rural communities are getting a raw deal. And we have to come out and speak firmly about it because what is really required is a cultural change in our country. Just like the rest of the world. We are way advanced compared to other countries, but we should take no comfort from that, we still have a long way to go.”
According to the Elections and Boundaries Department, as of December, women voters accounted for forty-nine point five two percent of those registered to vote.
