PUP Senator Calls for Legislation to address Domestic Violence

Gender-based violence remains a constant issue; the Domestic Violence Act was strengthened in 2007 to deal with the issue but its implementation remains a challenge. Over the past couple of months, there has been a rise of domestic violence reported across the country. In most cases, if not all, the female in the relationship is the victim. Today, during its final sitting for the year, the Senate discussed the matter which was raised by P.U.P. Senator Valerie Woods. Senator Woods pointed out that the Government is quick to pass several pieces of legislation but has yet to compose a piece of legislation that would address the issue of gender-based violence.

Valerie Wood, P.U.P. Senator

Valerie Woods

“We also have a choice to bring domestic legislation that reaches a wider audience. I close Mr. President in citing the reasons, or name of persons, why we should have more than just this legislation in these last final months of 2018. Those are: Josephine Hamilton age thirty of Punta Gorda, Maria Yasmin thirty-four years of Trial Farm, Roxanne Pop aged thirty-three of Belize City, Marcia Downs age thirty-seven Belize City, Hermelinda Emmanuel age forty-six Belize City and thoughts and prayers of course going out to the young Anisha Young age twenty-three. Mr. President I cite that because this has been a year where we are called to the Senate meetings with extreme difficult social environment and legislation is not coming to the Senate to address those.”

Godwin Hulse

Godwin Hulse, Government Senator

“This is a serious thing. We now have another woman, again; young girl who they are looking everywhere for. This is sad, very sad in our country. I am sure that the Attorney General’s Ministry has been working on these legislations. There are a whole slew of them coming up in trying to address some of these kinds of things. This is a whole societal matter, not only legislation. The practice is the responsibility of each and all and every one of us.”