Where are the women candidates?

Almost everywhere you look in Belize, it’s apparent that women run things. The universities, government offices, banks … even here at News Five. But the one place you almost never see women is seated in the House of Representatives. It’s a disturbing fact because while many European countries boast legislatures with over thirty percent female representation and women head governments in Germany, Chile, Argentina, Liberia and half a dozen other countries, in Belize the number of women participating in national politics has rarely been lower. News Five’s Janelle Chanona tried to find out why.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
“Belizean women represent half of the voting population, but come election day, out of almost ninety candidates, only three will be women.”

Ann-Marie Williams, Political Activist
“It’s difficult because as the electorate, we don’t seem to mind and we don’t say anything, women or men. And I could understand why men don’t say anything, but women in and of our own selves we need to say something because we need to be in the positions of power where decisions are made over our lives and our children’s lives.”

Of the three women, two are from the ruling People’s United Party.

Prime Minister Said Musa
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating; we have the women. I am very–I am very honoured today to be flanked by two powerful, beautiful women candidates. And we do have a women’s agenda which forms part of our manifesto that we continue to carry out.”

The United Democratic Party accepts the inequality of its slate, but Opposition Leader Dean Barrow insists women will have a place in his government.

Dean Barrow, Party Leader, U.D.P.
“We are sure that next time around as the process internally in our party develops, that situation will change. Meantime, we will with respect to appointments that we would be able to make as government, try to redress this imbalance. So we are committed to gender equity, we are committed to equality, we are committed to the advance of women in our party and that’s a commitment that will not go away and that in fact will only grow stronger.”

Historically, women have always featured prominently in the local political landscape. There were the “bembe” women who fought alongside George Price in his battle for national independence. Later Gwen Lizarraga’s successful bid at electoral politics earned her the title of Belize’s first female minister. But since then only a small number of women have joined the political fray to follow in her footsteps … and only a few, including Faith Babb, Sylvia Flores, Patty Arceo, and Dolores Balderamos Garcia have actually been successful at the national polls. When it comes to talent there is no argument that women are equal or better than men occupying many of the top C.E.O. positions and key contract jobs in government. But why has their political role been so limited?

Ann-Marie Williams
“Our socialisation has a lot to do with how we are as a people and women by and large in Belize are not socialised for political power. We are socialised in supporting roles, which is not always bad. But if you can do the job, why not stand up and be counted? So we are there to support the men in all their endeavours, “We will get him elected! We will get him elected!” And you get him elected and he forgot about who got him elected.”

According to Ann-Marie Williams, her research on Gender Studies and Development has produced disturbing results.

Ann-Marie Williams
“We have this, this thing in us too that, well a lot of us are not assertive enough to do what we need to do. A lot of us, we don’t have the courage, we don’t have the vision, we feel like we cannot do it. When another female might be going up to do it, we seh, “Weh she think, she think she all dat good?” She is. We need to support women into doing these things.”

In 2006, career public officer turned union activist Zenaida Moya was successful as the U.D.P.’s mayoral candidate. But today Moya admits that even at the municipal level, respect is hard to come by.

Zenaida Moya, Belize City Mayor
“I’ve heard certain people who I still respect, who feel that I because I’m a female more so, they see me as being a ceremonial mayor. And I have laughed at that because while I’m the mayor and I’m female, there’s not going to be only a ceremonial Mayor Zenaida Moya.”

“Even when I’m on the news or being interviewed, sometimes they won’t even listen to what I say, they will just look at or critique how I look or what I have on, how my hair is done, I just find those people … they’re shallow and they need to grow up.”

Carolyn Trench Sandiford contested those same city council elections, but despite her defeat, has thrown her hat into the national ring as the P.U.P.’s candidate in Collet.

Carolyn Trench Sandiford, P.U.P. Collet Candidate
“We have to have women who are prepared to stand up, we have to have women who are prepared to say you know in spite of all that, I am going to do what I came in to do and, like I said, have a sense of purpose. If you don’t have a sense of purpose, if you don’t a vision as to where you want to go, then you are going to be sidetracked, because you are then you are going to be very concerned, “Weh they deh seh bout me? Weh dah one gat fu seh bout me?”

“I had a great grandma who used to like to say, “be true to yourself and be true to your God.” And I believe once you do that it’s irrelevant what anybody else say you know.”

Both national parties have organised entities to encourage the active participation of women in politics, but both Sandiford and Moya agree their interest began at home.

Zenaida Moya
“The upbringing and I would say the whole social atmosphere and the want for change because, you see, when you see things that you feel can be improved you want to become a part of it. And sometimes you may see people that they are in a position, but maybe you know, you feel that you can do better. And so that is something that has prodded me along from I was very young.”

Carolyn Trench Sandiford
“Sometimes people say it’s the women who don’t want you to go into politics. And I say women want us to go into politics, but women are also scared for us when we go into politics because they know the real world out there. They know that, like I said, you are going to be scrutinized much more, you are going to be–your benchmarks are going to be so much more different from men. But we, like I said, I think it’s changing, I think the more people understand governance more, the more people understand that in order to be an agent of change, you must get involved.”

One woman long involved with the nuts and bolts of politics is the U.D.P.’s Secretary General, Phillipa Griffith Bailey.

Philipa Griffith Bailey, General Secretary, U.D.P.
“I have done this for years and I do it, if I even have to say so, I do a good job. Cause that’s what I like, working behind the scenes, doing administrative work and making sure everything is in order for the party.”

Janelle Chanona
“If you had to choose, why wouldn’t you get into electoral politics?”

Phillipa Griffith Bailey
“Because I’m a very private person and I would not do it.”

Janelle Chanona
“What would you like to say to the young women of Belize that they get involved so that on this stage we will have an equal number of men and women one day?”

Phillipa Griffith Bailey
“Well, I would suggest if that’s what you like to do, if you like to be in the forefront, if you want to work in the forefront then that’s for you. But for me, being a private person I do a better job working behind the scenes and ensure that we win the next election.”

Janelle Chanona
“But Belize is full of strong, educated women who aren’t camera shy and who are already in leadership roles. So why aren’t there more women in politics?”

Dean Barrow, U.D.P. Leader
“I believe that one has to do with the nastiness of electoral politics. The campaigning as you know too often deteriorates into mudslinging and name calling and I believe that the women of merit who value their good names and value their personal space find that often times a little too much to deal with. I hope that the day will come when in fact we can conduct election campaigns in this country in a far more civilised manner than is the case currently. Until then we will just have to see how we can promise our women a degree of protection.”

But Williams says that’s not enough.

Ann-Marie Williams
“Women as a social group, we have been left behind, there’s no question about that and in order for us to come up, we need to set some sort of quota. We need to do that because it will never happen for us because spaces have to be made. If spaces are not made, we will be content, the parties will be content, “Oh, Janelle wah run,” one out of thirty-one, that’s okay, very token and we will sit by, never say anything and the years will just go by.”

Setting such standards worked in Trinidad and Tobago in 2007. And Prime Minister Patrick Manning kept his campaign promise, naming an unprecedented ten women as Ministers in his twenty-nine member Cabinet. Portia Simpson Miller’s term as Prime Minister of Jamaica, albeit short, and the power of politicians like Billy Miller and Mia Mottley in Barbados have made inroads for women in the region … but locally, Belizeans have a long way to go.

Janelle Chanona”
“As a man would you say that women are asserting themselves?”

Henry Usher, Secretary General, PUP
“Certainly and I welcome it because I think that the women and men must work together as equal partners to promote the development of Belize. It’s very important for women to take up their rightful place in society, in politics, in whatever the case may be, in business, in environmental affairs, whatever it is, women must take up that position and be more assertive and I welcome them in political arenas, I welcome them in all arenas.”

“So we try to promote women from the very young ages in the party and to encourage them to become more active in the country’s affairs really, not only the P.U.P. affairs, but in the country’s affairs.”

Carolyn Trench Sandiford
“The more we go that route, I think the more women will start seeing it as an opportunity, as a privilege to serve their country, to enter to serve their community, and more importantly, to effect the kind of change that we need to take our development to another level.”

Zenaida Moya
“It will be more easier for any other female politician who wants to get into politics. The road would have already, you know at least been cut out, a little paving on them, for when they get in there it will be easier.”

Ann-Marie Williams
“Politics if it’s sold as dirty game, then maybe we need to clean it up. We can organise for our own generation; we have the capacity, we have the ability, but almost as if it doesn’t dawn on us.”

And with a guarantee that whoever wins this election, the face of government will be male, Belizean women will pretty much have to look in the mirror for inspiration. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.