LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD

March is Women’s Month and there are many important contributions to Belizean History that must be recognized as well as current impacts being made on all fronts by Belizean women. The theme this year is #EmbraceEquity which is a call for the leveling of the playing field for women in all areas of our society, but particularly in access to health, employment prospects, opportunities for education, and access to justice, safety, and security, housing and human rights. In each of these areas, the Briceño administration has made progress, and there are many more policies and government initiatives that will pave the way for Belizean women to be full partners in guiding our development, governance, and productivity.

Land access and home ownership are important for wealth creation, stability, and development for families, especially single-parent families. It is a hallmark of this government that they have ensured single mothers, women, and other vulnerable groups participate in those programs. Mortality rates associated with childbirth and pregnancy have drastically reduced, but gender-based violence continues to plague our society driven by biases, discriminatory attitudes, and misogynistic culture. Those no longer serve a purpose in the modern Belizean society that this government has envisioned in PlanBelize and toward which all efforts are focused. Already changes this year that seek to advance the participation of women by removing gender-specific taxes will take effect as of the new fiscal year when import duties and general sales tax will be removed from all sanitary napkins and tampons. The initiative comes from a young woman Ms. Seidy Quetzal who decries government should not tax her femininity.

While there are those who continue, for their own purpose, to stifle women’s rights and freedoms, this government seeks to empower them. The full realization of the potential of women can only come from policies that level the playing field for women and allow them to catch up with their male counterparts. In Belize there is still a wage gap and women are often passed over for promotions, raises, and equal pay for equal work. Most Belizean women are also further burdened with unpaid work as they alone shoulder the responsibility for the care of young children and older family members. Still, there are some women that despite these obstacles make a tremendous difference and have positive impacts in their own spaces and areas of influence.

In recognition of such women, the National Women’s Commission hosts their annual awards event during Women’s Month and recognizes their contributions, and honours them. There is a national calendar of events that celebrates Belizean Women, encourages them to become more involved, inspires young women, and provides for outreach and advocacy on many topics of interest for women. Women are half the population of Belize, are a force in the economy, and are the surest way to increase productivity and raise the standards of living in Belize. It is in everyone’s best interest to ensure that they have equal access to all the rights, freedoms, and opportunities and that requires that at this time they be afforded additional support and encouragement to catch up.