Belize Confronts Child Violence Ahead of Global Conference
For more than one hundred Belizean children, violence has led to the need for medical or mental-health treatment over the past two years. That troubling figure is now driving fresh calls for stronger prevention, greater community involvement and better coordination among the agencies responsible for protecting children. Today, government officials, NGOs and international partners reviewed Belize’s progress as the country prepares to take new commitments to the Second Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children in Manila, Philippines. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Over the past two years, one hundred and nine Belizean children have required medical or mental-health treatment after reported cases of violence. That means one in every three reported cases required professional care. Is Belize doing enough to protect its children? Officials confronted that question today while preparing the country’s commitments for the global conference in Manila. Shawn Vargas, Director of the Department of Human Services, outlined some of the progress made since the first conference in 2024.
Shawn Vargas
Shawn Vargas, Director, Department of Human Services
“We have established laws. One of the major thing that we looked at is the ending child marriage, so moving the age from sixteen to eighteen. We have looked at the community migrant shelter, the family migrant shelter that is managed by the Department of Human Services. We are also looking at the number of services provided by the Ministry of Education, specifically for children with counseling, psychosocial needs, and the level of, um, medical support provided by the Ministry of Health.”
Those efforts include ending child marriage, expanding counseling and psychosocial support, and improving medical services for children. But officials say laws and programs alone will not solve the problem. The Ministries of Health, Education and Human Development, the Attorney General’s Ministry and NGO partners must work together, while families and communities play a more active role in keeping children safe. Dr. Natalia Beer, Technical Advisor in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, says the ministry is also helping to update national child-justice guidelines.
Voice of: Dr. Natalia Beer
Voice of: Dr. Natalia Beer, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health & Wellness
“We are also part of the Child Protection and Child Justice Steering Committee and we are currently updating the justice guidelines, and in that have a section related to health, what is expected from health. So we are part of the network responding to the prevention and, in the longer term, elimination of violence against children in Belize.”
UNICEF is helping Belize prepare for the global conference while strengthening a coordinated national response to prevent violence and protect children. Child Protection Officer Michelle Segura-McGann says Belize has already taken several steps since making its first international pledge in Colombia in 2024.
Michelle Segura-McGann
Michelle Segura-McGann, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF Belize
“Belize participated in the First Global Conference to End Violence Against Children in Bogota, Colombia at the end of 2024. Our pledge, our commitment at that session was to end violence against children by focusing on prevention and multi-sectoral coordination. Since then, we have established the Child Protection and Child Justice Steering Committee. We are looking at the parenting manual the parenting policy, the first ever parenting policy in Belize. We’re looking at integrated health and safe schools. So these are three two areas which is important to have the line ministries here, Health, Education, and Human Development.”
The next step is turning those plans into protection that children can feel in their homes, schools and communities. The commitments developed during today’s session will form part of Belize’s message in Manila, where the country will join the renewed global push to end violence against children. Britney Gordon for News Five. Britney Gordon for News Five.
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