UNICEF's annual International Day of the girl was observed today under the theme "Girl's Vision For The Future." They hosted a adolescent girls town hall event with up to 200 young girls in attendance from different schools across Belize. The event showcased panel discussions, and noteworthy speeches from significant female leaders like Dr Lydia Guerra the first female lieutenant Colonel of the Belize Defense Force, and speaker of the house of Representatives, Valerie Woods. Here are the highlights from today's event.

Alison Parker, UNICEF Representative
"Today is when we commemorate the international day of the girl this is a day that the United Nations puts aside for us to look specifically about the issues of girls across the world. For us in the Latin American and Caribbean Region there are a number of areas where we have to look at what the situation is with girls so firstly we are looking at issues of violence against girls and women and then the second piece is look at where we are in terms of child marriage and early union and we find that these beliefs and cultures and norms that have impacted the development of women overtime but we have also been able to look at what are the positive issues that girls and women have brought to the table and I think the issue of have conversations around the challenges and the negativity has been there but today the ideas we want to share are the opportunities. What are offered for girls along the way and I think over the decade we have come a long way. There has been huge investment in girls and women there has been a lot of talk about women's empowerment and Opportunities for business. Two days ago I was in a meeting where we were talking about small micro small and medium enterprises where women are in the space and the opportunities that are being created for them to access financing so that they can take the stage and own their space and manage their families. Today we see women entering what has been termed before as male dominantes learning spaces. We have our first lieutenant Colonel here from the ministry of defense this is amazing so women are breaking barriers and this isn't the first time they are doing it they have done it in the past and I think this is a fantastic opportunity for young women to take the stage own their space and contribute to national development."

Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House
"In my professional capacity I preside over a house that is still predominantly meal in Belize. We still have a challenge and having women step up if you will or engage it is no fault of theirs is not an easy environment, but when UNICEF reached out to ask if I would deliver opening remarks on the occasion of the international day of the girl, I felt it was an opportunity to girls in Belize from across. I believe it's from all six districts they were able to get some of the young students here that they really have power in their own right and just this past Tuesday that was exemplified with the passage of the law to change the legal age of marriage, and that rarely was done predominantly because of the effort of the national children's parliament last year, and all of these young girls and boys stepped up and made exceptional debates as to why it needed to be done one year later it became an actual legislation and that is such a example of how young people youth voices can influence change and development in our country and I thought it was important that they know that that they should leave forward and believe in themselves. They are going to make mistakes and yes there are going to be naysayers."

"But they really have a strong voice and I hope that I was able to convey to them that as long as they are authentic, and they are not pretending to be somebody else and they speak from their heart, they can be our future leaders and they can actually break barriers."