WOMEN'S WEEK OBSERVE IN BELIZE

March 05, 2007

March third to the ninth is being observed as Women’s Week in Belize. The theme this year is “Women and Men, United to End Violence against Women”. In delivering a speech in commemoration of the week, Minister of Human Development Sylvia Flores says that the Domestic Violence Act will be strengthened to deal more severely with perpetrators of this crime.

Minister of Human Development Sylvia Flores

“This year the Ministry of Human Development along with the Attorney General Ministry is especially pleased to announced that the 1992 Domestic Violence Act chapter 178 will be appealed on International Women’s Day and a new act will be introduced which increases the power and jurisdiction of the Family Court in dealing with domestic violence cases, provides more severe criminal penalties in respect of domestic violence cases, enlarges the quality of people who may apply for orders against domestic violence provides greater powers to the police in respect of the ability to intervene in domestic violence situation and increases the offenses which constitute domestic violence. The introduction of this new act signifies our government commitment to sending a clear message of where we stand when it comes to domestic violence. No woman, man or child deserve to be abuse, domestic violence is a crime and will be treated as such.”

Minister of Human Development, Sylvia Flores. International Women’s Day will be on March eighth.

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