16 Days of Activism kicks off – women say #NoExcuse for gender-based violence

Published by BBNTEAM at November 25, 2024

Posted: Monday, November 25, 2024. 8:03 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: Today, Monday, is the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women and the traditional start of the observance of 16 Days of Activism in support of marginalized populations.

On Friday morning, the Ministry of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous People’s Affairs, along with the National Women’s Commission (NWC), hosted a ceremony at the House of Culture in Belize City, followed by a parade to kick off the 16 Days. The theme for this year is #NoExcuse and the objective is to bring awareness to gender-based violence.

Chair of the Women’s Commission, Thea Garcia-Ramirez, said that a lot of what is violence against women has been accepted as “normal” in our culture and in certain traditions. However, she added that culture and traditions can evolve and change: “All of us have heard these seemingly innocuous comments growing up like, ‘If ih noh beat me, ih no love me; ih beat me but ih no lef me…” and we kind of say it in jest, it’s things we’ve heard and it’s sort of normalized when we are growing up…We say that culture and tradition can change because it has changed over time; it has evolved.

She went on to discuss norms related to gender roles, such as women learning to cook and clean, and suggesting that if you fail to learn these roles properly, then ‘you look fi dehn beat yu.’ Also, older generations seem to condone domestic violence, especially against women, as an outgrowth of such thinking.

Garcia-Ramirez was elected People’s United Party standard bearer for Corozal Bay in next year’s general elections, defeating incumbent Elvia Vega Samos. She encouraged women to take on leadership roles, saying that women need to advocate for other women who may not have a platform to have their voices heard: “Women leaders, we have to advocate not only for ourselves but for other women who don’t have a voice or whose voice is being silenced. And so I think the more there are of us in the House, in the Cabinet, in the Upper and Lower Houses, the more we will be able to push through, to advocate and get things done, so that we have not only gender equality but also equity.”

The 16 days include key dates such as World AIDS Day on December 1, and Human Rights Day on December 10.

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