Coast Guard Hosts Women Symposium

As women’s month nears its end, a series of activities carried out by the Belize Coast Guard in celebration of the fifty women enlisted with the law enforcement agency culminated today with a symposium at its headquarters in Belize City.  Former Commandant John Borland and Minister of Human Development Dolores Balderamos Garcia as well as the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children Rossana Briceño were the guest speakers of the event. Here’s how that went.

Rossana Briceño

Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children

“Women are everywhere in our country and if there is an opportunity in any area – workforce, service force – why not? We belong there, everywhere. The norm is that the woman is the glue that binds and holds the family together. But we know for a fact that in Belize we have many single men that are the fathers, the mothers, the caretakers in the home. And I really felt that if I just focus on women and children, we are excluding the family and families make up the whole foundation of Belize. In families, there are men and women and so it is a team work effort that needs to be looked at when it comes to families in Belize.”

Dolores Balderamos Garcia

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs

“Yes you want to be a leader, but in order to be a leader, you must first embrace that there is the humility in being a servant of the people. And I see you all this morning and I believe in my heart that you all have embraced the idea of servant leadership we have our challenges, we have all the difficulties in our lives, but if we hold true to the principles of service leadership, we will be able to do an excellent job in the work that is cut out for us.”

The theme for the symposium was “It’s the Service Women for Me.”