BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Nov. 25, 2021 — Starting today, November 25, the country of Belize will join the international community in observing the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This 16-day event runs until 10 December, which is Human Rights Day.
Thea Garcia Ramirez, the president of the National Women’s Commission, noted, “[These days serve as a] reminder that rights are innate. You can’t give or take away your rights. You can only recognize and respect rights, and that’s a highlight that we want to bring out and that this year’s theme expresses that the fight against gender-based violence, it’s not only for the organizations; it’s for all of us.”
The day’s event was hosted by the National Women’s Commission working in tandem with the Spotlight Initiative, multi-sectoral United Nations Agencies, the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous People’s Affairs, and the Office of the Special Envoy. This year’s theme under which the event is being observed is “You and Me, from 16 days to 365: End violence against women now!” It signifies that the fight to end domestic violence will require a collaborative and consistent effort. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, and has gained global traction since then.
Present at the inauguration ceremony for the 16 Days of Activism was Senator Elena Smith, who was there in the capacity of the president of the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU). Senator Smith remarked that the teaching profession in Belize is a female-dominated industry, and many of the union’s members are subject to gender-based violence. She stated, “I think you are aware that in our profession, we have mostly females. Majority of our teachers are females. They are not different from any other females. We find that some of our members do as well go through violence, and it is difficult a lot of times for our women to find where to go to get assistance when it comes to these types of situations. We know that, yes, there’s a Department; sometimes we know how the system operates. When women go to report these things, for some reason inside sources sometimes would notify the abusers, who then go and threaten these persons further.”
The president of the National Women’s Commission also highlighted the devastating statistics associated with gender-based violence. She noted that as much as 80% of the total cases of gender-based violence against women are perpetrated by a partner or ex-partner. The occurrence has become so frequent that the term “intimate partner violence” was coined.
It has been suggested, however, that as much as 60% of the total cases of domestic abuse go unreported — an indication that the frequency of such incidents is underestimated.
In light of these statistics, the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, H.E. Rossana Briceno, suggested that while these 16 days are significant, awareness of gender-based violence should be spread every day of the year. She stated, “Today marks an amazing time; it’s most befitting, with all the violence and all the crime that has escalated in Belize. Today marks a day that we commemorate and bring awareness that it’s not only for 16 days that we need to have activities that will highlight the gender-based violence that escalated in our country, but it is supposed to be for every day — all year round, 365 days.”