Adele Catzim-Sanchez, Consultant
"Life changes over time and there are new emerging issues that have come to our attention over the last few years and one of those critical areas is the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents and so the national gender policy includes those things and it makes specific commitments for how the Government will address that situation and that's just one of the situations. We have other things like the accidents; the number of accidents that are affecting men on the road. You know men die more from road accidents than women but also the gun violence; that's a gender equity issue that is now in the updated national gender policy so it's not just a women's document as people would tend to believe but it truly embodies all the issues that affect us as human beings, being male or female, young or old"

Ann-Marie Williams - Executive Director NWC
"The last labor participation rate shows that men are employed almost two to one over women. It's always amazing to me how do we look at women graduating three to one, officially three to one, over their counterparts at the University; the highest level of education we have in Belize and somehow that is not translated as part of the labor force participation rate. Women work a lot in the tourism sector but they work at the lower rounds of the tourism sector and women stay in school longer getting these high levels of education; base line study is in effect, needed, because we need to see where the women are going. They're not essentially in politics in the highest levels, we know that, and they are not in the work force. Where are the gaps? Or maybe, where are the chasms? Because something is going on but don't have the data"

Jules Vasquez
"Is this systematic discrimination?"

Ann-Marie Williams
"We're not sure; we don't have the data to definitely put our fingers on it"

And while the 50 page document addresses all that – it also speaks to what is called gender identity. That sounds suspiciously like that hot-button issue LBGT, or what might be called UNIBAM. Interesting because in court the state is upholding anti-sodomy laws, so we tried to get some clarification.

Adele Catzim-Sanchez
"It also includes sexual harassment that happens within the work place and it includes rape that happens either at home or on the streets but it also includes all the harassment and the discrimination against persons because of their gender, orientation or sexual identity. One of the things that we had to make sure, for example, is that sexual minority issues are also represented in the national gender policy because gender orientation is also a gender issue."

Reporter
"I'm asking if the women's commission supports the removal of that portion of the penal code regarding sodomy because you say you are referring to sexual orientation."

Ann-Marie Williams
"Regarding the code, I cannot speak for the women's commission and we never had a statement out on that but the policy speaks to the constitution. Part of the preamble of the policy speaks that in 1981 the constitution says that all citizens of Belize are part of this gender equality mix and that they are..."

Reporter
"But they did not refer to sexual orientation"

Ann-Marie Williams
"I'm telling you, they're part of the gender equality mix and they should not be discriminated against, regardless of their race, color, creed, political affiliations, or sex and is part of the preamble policy and is the constitution"

Reporter
"So basically you are saying the policy and the constitution supports UNIBAM, that's what you are saying?'

Ann-Marie Williams
"I am not saying that and don't try to put me to saying that; the policy is saying that all Belizeans have a right to non discrimination regardless of race, sex, color or creed and make sure you quote me correctly."

Ok then!

Of note is that funds have been received for the implementation of a national plan of action to address gender based violence.