International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8th is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.
Originally, International Women’s Day was commemorated in Belize by planning and executing a week of activities in March. In 2009, to provide more agencies with opportunities to highlight women’s issues and the achievements of women in observance of International Women’s Day, the Women’s Department transformed what was originally Women’s Week into Women’s Month in March.
The theme for this year’s Women’s Month was: #EmbraceEquity: This inclusive theme challenges everyone to continue to challenge gender inequalities, and not only embrace gender equality but also push for gender equity to ensure women have that fair and equal chance at every opportunity.
Activities countrywide addressed: education, celebration, sensitization, health, and spirituality.
The National Women’s Award is also an important event during Women’s Month. This year 25 women from across the country were awarded.
Victims of gender-based violence now have an additional hotline to call for assistance. The National Women’s Commission with funding from the Spotlight Initiative and technical support from UNFPA, launched the second 0-800 Gender-based Violence hotline on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at the Eastern Division Police Department on Queen Street, Belize City.
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