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From all outward appearances, it would seem women have taken a few steps backwards in politics. First, there are no women in the House of Representatives – though there are three women in the Senate. Second, Belize City’s first female mayor is under unprecedented attack and is facing the prospect of expulsion from her party. So what’s the future look like for women in politics. The National Women’s Commission isn’t just waiting around for that future to happen, they are shaping it! Jacqueline Godwin found out more.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Presently there are no women government ministers in Belize but that is about to change if any of these fifty three political aspirants have their way in the twenty first century. And the women who range in age from seventeen to fifty nine years old are wasting no time in arming themselves with the necessary tools to help them on their future campaign trails and become successful candidates. The women will be trained in all areas of politics by the women in politics project officially launched today.

It is just one of many programmes in the National Women’s Commission two year plan. According to NWC’s Executive Director Ann Marie Williams who herself was a candidate for city council elections, the project offers opportunities that were not available in the past to women.

Ann Marie Williams, Executive Director – NWC
“Women should get involved in politics because no country can fully develop if 51% of its population is left behind. It is not good for development, also too for gender justice and gender parity. Women bring different things to the table. If we are in a position where many are making the decisions over our lives what do you think will happen? Do you think they are sensitive to all of our needs? Look around and if we’re just as smart or smarter why can’t we be there.”

The overwhelming response demonstrates that the WIP Project was long overdue. In fact, the NWC initially targeted thirty women but an additional twenty three women applied.

Ann Marie Williams,
“It shows you that women have always been interested in politics but there is no real organization who has said let’s harness that energy, let’s try to do something to train them because statistics have shown that women tend to end politics later in life, like in their forties. If you notice more women in their forties are in the program after child rearing and everything. So if you catch them at that time and provide something for them, because we don’t socialize women for politics. Usually if there is a politician and he is giving up his seat, whether he has daughters or sons, who steps up? The son steps up.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“You have any views or opinion as to why you believe it has taken this long for a large number of women to express an interest in politics?”

Giselle Leacock, Political Aspirant
“I think they are afraid to express themselves. Mostly men they get what they want and everything and I believe women can achieve anything that they want. You just have to work for it.”

Dianne Hall, Political Aspirant
“I was really really shocked because usually when you talk to women they are afraid of the whole thing about politics that it is nasty, it is degrading, they thing of corruption all the time. So I was really amazed at the number of applications they got but it is a good step.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“When women do express an interest and get involved in politics, we turn out to be our own worse enemies.”

Ann Marie Williams,
“Well we are our worse own enemies without politics. That is how we have been socialized. It is a shame, I grew up with a lot of brothers so I don’t really have that style but we need to, in the political training there is lots of team building. I need to re-socialize our women in order to support each other as opposed to going against each other. I think it has to do with how we are raised. I don’t think it is our nature, I think it is how we are nurtured.”

As pointed out by the NWC there have only been three women Ministers; Dolores, Lisa, Sylvia; and two women Ministers of State; Patty Arceo, Faith Babb between 1993 and the present.

Ann Marie Williams,
“I feel that the enabling environment is not here in Belize. It’s been a male dominated culture where politics is concerned and it doesn’t matter to the women. We come along and it is an opportunity to say the CEDAW and the National Gender Policy on which we worked with saying that Belize has to do what it needs to do to fast track women’s political leadership, I am full time at the commission now. We have to monitor CEDAW and this was something I pushed. So it shows you that when organizations are in place and they look particularly at their role, things can happen.”

We are not sure just how many of these women will be successful at the end of the sixteen month long WIP Project. While there were well known political aspirants in the group, there were a larger number of new faces.

Jacqueline Godwin,
“I would never have imagined that you would have been involved or interested in getting involved in politics. Why at this time?”

Dianne Hall,
“Well really I’ve always been interested in politics but more in a way of the development of our country and our people. I am a people person and I really believe that the young people of this country are the future and I believe that if I can take this step in taking the training then I could pass it on to the young people who they are the future of this country and we need to work with them to develop their leadership skills and so through the young people of this country that is how I will be carrying out my political ambitions.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“You had your own experience in politics. What happened to Ann-Marie? You’re here pushing women to get involved in politics but then you yourself, you’re no longer involved.”

Ann Marie Williams,
“Well I am involved but I may not be involved for you to vote for me but you know something Jackie, I think for too long we’ve taken our agenda to be our agenda. Ann Marie is one person. If I can get at least ten women out of this 53 to join Ann Marie if and when she is ready is that not beautiful? We need to build from the ground up and it is not only about us. I am not satisfied with just having one woman there because then she is used as a template; if she does bad, oh we write you off, if she does good then that. No, we are saying that we need this critical mass and it is not about Ann Marie but it is Ann Marie helping to develop women.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“Giselle women as young as you are, 17 years old, we don’t normally hear them being interested in politics. What got you interested?”

Giselle Leacock,
“Basically it was my dad who told me about it and he motivated me, he and my mom motivated me to go into it and I guess it was a good suggestion and I am interested in it too so.”

Ann Marie Williams,
“If you noticed there are a lot of new women faces who you don’t see that are politically active. That is good because here is an opportunity for them to choose whatever party they want to run with in order to run. WIP Project is just a project coming out of the Commission and we train across party lines. You didn’t have to be red or blue, we didn’t care. We didn’t ask because that’s not the point. We are just giving you some information and a little bit of training to build your confidence to let you know that you can do it.”

The largest number of applicants are from the Belize District followed by the Cayo District.

Jacqueline Godwin,
“What would you be interested in running in, general elections, city council, village, town?”

Giselle Leacock,
“General elections, town councils doesn’t do it. I want to achieve the highest.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“So when can we expect to see Giselle on a ballot paper?”

Giselle Leacock,
“Soon as I turn 18.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“So you think we should see your name down there for the next general elections?”

Dianne Haylock,
“Yeah come maybe 2017 you should see my name down there.”

Ann Marie Williams,
“And we will be there to support you because out of this project we will have a support group of women who will be able to support each other. If you are running for village council elections then we could help you. This WIP Project is also part of a wider Caribbean initiative coming through the Caribbean Institute for Women Leadership. Two women from this group will be selected to be a part of the CIWL Project which will have training, Caribbean mentorship, and lots of opportunities to help women to think political, act political and enter politics.”

The training of these Belizean women political aspirants will coincide with similar programmes implemented in three other Caribbean countries, Jamaica, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. Reporting for 7News, Jacqueline Godwin.