Its women's month and yesterday the women soldiers at the Price Barracks in Ladyville got some love in the form of counseling. In a job where toughness is valued above all else, women soldiers can come under stress. Here's why:..
Participant 1
"We have decided to team up with the Belize Defence Force especially our female soldiers are one that we don't see often, but their wellbeing is also taken into consideration and so as the officer in charge of the Belize District I have decided to come up with looking at the mental healthiness, looking at the sexual reproductive right of our female soldiers.."
Participant 2
"They have a very stressful life and many of them can get some help. Many of them are under some kind of severe stressful situation and they need to know where they can get some help."
Participant 3
"It's very important especially with our women BDF because they do experience these problems, not only at home but here at 
work, so I believe that it will help them to know that they will be able to seek help and it's not a problem to seek help. You are not seeing as somebody weak but actually one of your strengths if you come out and bring your problems across to somebody who will be able to assist you to get that help that you need."
Participant 1
"I think we are making a difference. You are here and you've heard some of the discussions in terms of some of the information because especially looking at mental health and cervical cancer - it's not something that we talk about. Sex is still a taboo subject in our community that people don't talk about and so hence forth we are I consider one of the agencies that will bring some of these discussions forward in order for us to talk about it. It's there, it's happening, its affecting us and why not talk about it."
Participant 3
"Yes I do think it's very important and if we could get at least twice for the year or a yearly basis, it would help a lot."
And while those lady soldiers got counseling, a lady police officer is the US Embassy's Woman of the Year. Deputy Commander of Eastern Division, Senior Superintendent Dezerie Phillips will be honored at an award ceremony hosted by the U.S. Charge d'Affaires, and receive a $2,000.00 dollar grant to directly support her work in the community.
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