The United Democratic Party strongly condemns any act of violence against women and girls and any threat of such violence whether done in private or in a public space. The UDP expresses grave concern over a despicable and outrageous post made on social media in which the wife of a media personality was threatened with sexual assault. The Party expects that the police will look urgently into this matter and will provide the required support if and when the family chooses to pursue the matter in the courts. There should be no place in our country for this kind of reprehensible behavior to find succor and there certainly is no place within our Party for this type of conduct.
The party also expresses its concern about the frequent reports of incidents of domestic violence involving all segments of our society. These acts are violations of the basic human rights of women when, in reality, women and children have the right to live a life free of violence. We agree with the statement of the Special Envoy for Women and Children that there is an urgent “need for continued advocacy and action on this issue by all stakeholders, including the general public.” Violence against women and children is violence against all of Belize. We pledge to work with all agencies, organizations and individuals and invite all Belizeans to become involved in and actively support the work to eliminate gender inequality, which is the root cause of gender-based violence.
We acknowledge the critical role of women in the development of Belize and recognize
that long standing inequalities and cultural practices have prevented women from achieving their full potential. In this regard, we are seeking the direct assistance of the Women’s Commission to deliver training sessions for our Party executive and members that will assist us in targeting our efforts appropriately. We invite other organizations to seek similar assistance in order build a critical mass of individuals and organizations in our country that can work together to effectively to break down the cultural and institutional barriers that stand in the way of gender equality.
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