11 percent of those surveyed say it’s okay for a man to beat his partner

The Spotlight Initiative has released the results of a study of attitudes toward violence against women and girls, family violence, gender equity and discrimination. It was based on data collection that began a year ago. One thousand two hundred people from across the country between 18 and 49 were surveyed. Key findings showed that eleven percent of respondents agreed that a man is justified in beating his partner; with individuals in rural areas slightly more likely to agree. The report also revealed women are most comfortable reporting gender-based violence to the police, rather than through the health care system. Unfortunately, institutional barriers such as the use of multiple or isolated data management systems remain. The results will be used to inform Spotlight initiatives and target interventions. The report was launched virtually with the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, European Union, civil society organizations and key government and non-government stakeholders. The three volumes of the Baseline Study Report are available at the Belize UN resources and publications page.

(https://belize.un.org/en/resources/publications.)