Belizeans denounce domestic violence on Intl. Women’s Day

Today is being observed globally as International Women’s Day … and if this year’s observance seems a little more important than in year’s past, it’s because in recent months the issue of violence against women has hit Belize like a shotgun blast. In late 2006 and early 2007, no less than three women were brutally murdered and several others critically injured by the men in their lives. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports.

Sylvia Flores, Minister of Human Development
“Every time a man’s voice a joins those of women in speaking out against violence, Belize will become a safer place for all of us.”

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
With a theme of “Women and Men United to End Violence Again Women,” the Second Annual Women’s Summit got underway today at the Radisson before a packed house.

Carol Fonseca, Director, Women’s Department
“One of the things we have been calling for repeatedly is for the involvement of more men in discussing the whole issue and this is what we are doing here today. I am very glad that we see several men here and hopefully we will be able to come to a greater understanding of the impact that this is having on the lives of so many of our women and men and our children”

“One of the things that we continue to lobby and advocate for is for men themselves to take the initiative, to begin to have organisations and agencies that reach out to other men. At the Women’s Department we feel that it is not up to us as women to take that initiative, men must make take that initiative so that they can realise that it’s important that they look after their own interests. And we also feel that, let’s face it, in our society men will more listen to men.”

Bolstering the efforts to end gender-based violence was the announcement today by Attorney General Francis Fonseca that the current Domestic Violence Act will be replaced with a more effective version.

Sylvia Flores
“The new bill increases the power of the family court, provides more severe criminal penalties, expands the category of people who may apply, and gives greater powers to the police in their response.”

Francis Fonseca
“The Domestic Violence Bill will be approved by Cabinet at its next meeting on March thirteenth and tabled in the National Assembly at its next regular sitting. The Domestic Violence Act, my friends, 2007 will signal a policy of zero tolerance for domestic violence, but as you know only too well, legislation can be rendered meaningless if our institutions and citizens do not give meaningful effect and support to that legislation.”

And to ensure that support is in place when the legislation comes into effect, the Women’s Department convened panel presentations focussing on the role of influential societal institutions.

Carol Fonseca
“We felt that this was an opportune time for us to bring together the key and critical agencies that are responsible to help to assist to eliminate violence against women. So today at this summit we have representatives from the judiciary, from the police, from the media, from the church, from our schools, from community based organizations, and from N.G.O.’s as well who will be speaking on the issue and discussing the critical role that they play.”

But while domestic violence was the topic on the front burner today, Women’s Department Director Carol Fonseca says it’s only one of the many issues affecting women in Belize. Others include HIV/AIDS.

Carol Fonseca
“Way back in 1986, the ratio was like five to one, now it’s one to one in terms of male and females, so there is certainly a serious concern in the area of HIV/AIDS. Cervical cancer is another important issue, maternal mortality; these are some of the issues that are of concern to us at the Women’s Department as well.”

In addition to the Women’s Summit, other activities today included a quilt launching, a women’s clinic in San Antonio, and a WIN-Belize Volleyball Competition to be held tonight at the Y.W.C.A. Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

Activities for Friday include women’s groups feeding the homeless in Belize City, while in Orange Walk they will be holding a Men Against Violence information fair.