To ensure the personal safety of the citizenry, there were also strict orders in reference to public drinking and the sale of alcoholic beverages. ComPol Williams says they were forceful in ensuring that businesses adhered to the Representation of the People’s Act. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “That was a heavy part of our […]
Over this past weekend volunteers with machetes in hand gathered at San Jose Village in the Orange Walk District to harvest two acres of sugarcane as part of Harvest for Kids, an initiative that falls under the Belize Camping Experience. Director Alexander Perez coordinates such events to raise funds in order to continue providing summer […]
At the 1995 Beijing Conference, Belize and one hundred and eighty-eight UN member states adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as a global agenda to improve human rights for women and girls. The BPFA sets strategic objectives to achieve gender equality in twelve critical areas of concern, including poverty, education and training, armed […]
Cynthia Williams says that the information gathered from the consultations will be used to generate a report for Belize. That report, she explains, will be shared with partner agencies and government to be used to improve the lives of women and girls in Belize. As she explains, the report is also useful to secure funding […]
Today, UNICEF held a workshop to sensitize its staff and partners of different government ministries and agencies on how to effectively engage with the media. A technical expert conducted the session to prepare the officers how they can handle interviews and share sensitive information in such a way that vulnerable groups, especially children, are not […]
Fifteen members of the Belize Security Forces have completed a two-week training programme on the rights of children to build their capacity when it comes to dealing with youth who come in conflict with the law or who are victims. The train the trainers programme will see the police officers and soldiers go back to […]
Earlier in the newscast, we told you about the string of robberies at businesses in the Cayo District. As you heard, the robbers pretended to be customers and others are believed to have monitored the businesses before they struck. Today the Police Department issued a special safety message for business owners. ASP Alejandro Cowo urges […]
Last year UNICEF made calls for proposals from community groups and NGOs to submit proposals for funding of innovative ways to combat violence against children in different communities. The projects have completed their implementation and on Thursday made a presentation about the results which was shared with UNICEF to help inform their work. We stopped […]
The Commissioner of Police along with representatives of Ministry of Human Development, UNICEF and B.D.F. were on a working visit to Jamaica to learn more about the island’s model to tackle sex crimes and child abuse. It is called CISOCA, the Center for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, which is a part of […]
A gender-based violence seminar was held today in Belize City. The purpose of the event was to discuss and share ways to enhance the reporting, monitoring and surveillance of gender-based violence in Belize. The all day event featured an in depth discussion on the framework for combating this growing problem. Presenter Dorla Bowman of the […]
All month long there have been several events across the country to celebrate women’s contributions to society and history. Today, the Mexican Embassy held an empowerment session at the Mexican Institute in Belize City. The event featured two presenters, including Governor of Central Bank Joy Grant. We stopped by to find out more about women […]
Today, March eighth, is International Women’s Day. The day is set aside to celebrate women and advocate for gender equality. Non-profit group ‘Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual Women’ hosted a forum to discuss the criminalization of sexual and reproductive health related activities, as well as the age of consent dilemma in Belize. […]
There are no official records on hate crime, but acts of violence and hostility against individuals and groups are known to occur. In fact, just about anyone is vulnerable. Policy makers and other stakeholders are partnering to draft legislation on the topic. Modules of enabling legislation in other countries of the Commonwealth offer insights on […]
Following the release of sex tape of news anchor Indira Craig and the video of a student in uniform performing oral sex, there was a release issued by the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children condemning the violation of a person’s privacy. In many quarters, Kim Simplis Barrow came under fire for […]
A one-day summit dedicated to enhancing governance accountability was held today in Belize City. Stakeholders from the private and public sectors were engaged in discussions on the many aspects of governance decision making from building awareness on relevant data to enhancing leadership of public officers and community organizers. News Five’s Duane Moody has a report. […]
The plight of homeless persons is a big social issue; today, we found a mother, her son and dogs living in a park in an affluent part of the city. Angelita and Roy Jones have been living at the Lopez Mateo Park since last year sometimes taking cover under a tarp. She says she has […]
Consultant Joshua Dankoff says the training in children’s rights and the law is important for security forces. He says that there are many instances where the training can prove to be quite valuable in getting children to cooperate and to respect their rights. The training can also help to strengthen officers’ work so that cases […]
On Friday night at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, well-known anthropologist Doctor Herbert Gayle delivered a public lecture entitled Failure of Suppression. Breaking down crime and violence into dollars and “sense,” Doctor Gayle spoke of how the system has failed to reduce crime nationally and regionally and looks at ten basics for a […]
According to Doctor Gayle, the region has only one violence reduction success and that is through the concept of community policing. He is of the belief that hard-line policing is failing the region. It is best to focus on education for boys, empowerment for girls and community-based initiatives tied with violence interruption groups. Dr. […]
The disturbing issue of cyber bullying is finally taking centre stage. Online bullying is not new, but given two well-known recent cases, it is now taking a sense of urgency, prompting legislation as well as awareness. Today, during the lunch hour, a group of demonstrators led by attorney Audrey Matura were on Albert Street in […]
A two-day conference on Social Protection opened today in Belize City. The conference is the second in a four-part series between the Ministry of Human Development and a number of partners, including UNICEF, ILO and the World Bank. It focuses on improving dialogue and generating commitments to strengthen the Belizean social protection system so that […]
Minister of Labour Carla Barnett, along with the World Bank and UNICEF, explains how the different parties involved can collaborate to eliminate the economic vulnerabilities of poverty and deprivation. Carla Barnett, Minister of Labour “If we can bring the private sector on board to work with us and if we open up ourselves and […]
Renowned anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gayle is back in town and will be delivering a public lecture on Friday at the Bliss Institute. Dubbed the Failure of Suppression, why and how violence reduction makes dollars and sense, the instructional speech will look at how the system of suppression has failed to achieve its desired results in […]
The mass circulation of a video clip depicting an underage female student in her high school uniform engaged in a sexual act is repulsive. Since its release over the weekend, a number of government and non-government agencies have come forward to condemn the act and the recording, as well as its distribution. The National Committee […]
Cyber bullying has become a trending topic since a series of pornographic videos were shared across various social media platforms over the weekend. The incidents have raised the ire of many, including social activists, who have since gone on record to express their displeasure with what can only be described as a most despicable act […]
