body,td,th { font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }
The U.S. Embassy today along with the Women's commission, Office of the Special Envoy and others launched a countrywide survey to measure gender equality in Belize.
It's a quest to obtain data that can inform social practices and make sure that no child male or female gets left out when it comes to human rights, education or professional development.
7News attended the launch and spoke to several of the women in support and at the helm of this enormous undertaking.
Michelle Kwan, U.S. Ambassador To Belize
"I think this today was an incredible launch of the national Gender equality index it is so important for statistical data to be collected."
"Really seeing the synergy of the importance of statistical data to understand the disparity and the gender gaps in this country and making sure that the measurement of progress for women's equality."
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"Well it will certainly inform the policies and inform the actions because there is so much to do you know within the Ministry of Human Development itself also with our statutory bodies and partners that there ia absolutely the need for data and I just really want to take this opportunity to thank Debra for having that vision and writing the proposal and making sure that we get it out there so that we can begin to gather the data that we need for example we won't be able to help our boys to university level for example and you notice I am using a gender example, that one would not expect but we need to get our boys into the high school, tertiary level and University. We need to have that data because we are hearing it might be about 2/3 of university students are women, what about out men but we are making sure that when it comes to employment there is some equity and equality there because women are still lesser paid so using that as an example but there is such a great need for data that will inform our policy unit and all our partners and we are very thrilled to have the women's commission as an implementer of getting that information from the statistical institute and working with them and then informing the rest of the work."
Rossana Briceno, Special Envoy for Families and Children
"As a former educator, I think, like I said, I brought education with me. And I think education is important because when we are looking at the disparities of boys versus girls in getting an education, it it alarms me to the point because I have a granddaughter. Ambassador spoke about her daughter and we of course, we all want that our girls when they marry if they marry because they have choices now to get an equal partner, you know, you don't want that. It's unbalanced"
"I am worried because statistics out there, not in Belize, are reflecting that more girls are getting a higher education. So like I said, we want that to be on an equal, more balanced level. As the special envoy now, my view is that this gender index. I think it's very important because it also give the government, I believe, a check and balance, especially when it comes to plan Belize and what they have in place for women."
"So I think it is going to be a very good indicator of where we are in the second year and a half, I believe, of the government, the present day government.'
A release from the embassy tonight says: "findings from the survey will inform policymaking and identify effective ways to seize opportunities for change".
