Refugee Women Focus of UN Agency Meeting

A meeting in Las Flores in the Cayo District with refugee women has prompted a call for more support to achieve gender equity.  Six refugee women who belong to the group United Refugee Women met with representatives of U.N.H.R.C. and UN Resident Coordinator, Birgit Gerstenberg last week.  The session highlighted the need for greater protections for refugee women, particularly in combating gender-based violence and improving access to education and livelihood opportunities.  U.N.H.C.R. says women and girls generally have fewer opportunities and resources, have a lower status, and less power and influence than men and boys.  According to data from U.N.H.C.R., Belize is home to almost six thousand refugees, both registered and non-registered asylum seekers looking for safe haven from nearby El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Out of these, thirty percent are women seeking protection and a chance at starting over and making ends meet for their families.