Women Parliamentarians Demand Apology from PlusTV for use of offensive Language

On Monday, The Belize Women Parliament Caucus issued a release calling on PlusTV to issue a public apology for controversial language used on the TV station by talk show host Louis Wade. While we won’t repeat the words he used, the Women Parliamentarians’ release describes the phrase used as, (quote), words associated with the genitalia of women to convey weakness, or a cowardly man or being ‘less than a giant’, (unquote). The release goes on to say that the use of the words were, quote, offensive, disrespectful, discriminatory, and continues the patriarchal narrative that women are weaker than men, unquote. Similarly today, Valerie Woods, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, wrote a letter to Evan Tench, the Chairperson of the Belize Broadcasting Authority, with the release attached. In her letter, Speaker Woods accused Wade of violating the terms and conditions for ON Air Television License issued by the B.B.A. Noting Wade’s membership on the board of B.B.A., Woods wrote, (quote), to have one of its own board members violate these terms and conditions, which clearly speaks to language that is offensive and revoltingly lewd, cannot be tolerated and must be addressed, (unquote). In concluding, Speaker Woods called on the B.B.A. to address the matter with immediacy.