Female Financial Freedom: A Step Towards Ending Domestic Violence

Today wraps up the global Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, and Belize closed it out with a powerful conversation on how financial empowerment can help protect women. This year’s theme was all about collective action, breaking down the structural, cultural, and institutional barriers that fuel violence and exclusion. The Ministry of Human Development, along with the International Network of Women in Business and the Office of the Special Envoy, brought together women leaders, advocates, and key stakeholders for a roundtable discussion.

 

Michelle Rodriguez, Communications Officer, Ministry of Human Dev.

“There is a lot more work to be done, but there is hope and we have a minister that is championing right now to amendments to the domestic violence bill and also the JP Bill and those, if passed, those are gonna make a huge difference for our women out there and we are looking forward to, and that’s just one of the things that we’re taking action on right now. We see that more women are coming out and are speaking up and we love it. Like something like what we’re here today for, which is the NIME this little session that they’re having here. Women are engaging, women are talking, they’re not afraid. They’re saying, Hey, I’ve had enough. And silence is not good enough anymore. I’m going to speak up.”

 

Dr. Minerva Pinelo, Co-founder, NIME Belize

“As one of our panelists said today, if a woman is. Economically independent or has some financial solvency, it may be easier for her to walk away. It may be easier to elevate a voice and to really show her power and to move away from these situations. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it can bring more harm than good. And so it’s a very delicate balance in what can be done to support women. But we truly believe at NIME that economic independence is one of those tools that can address this growing sort of threat. And even, some countries are saying epidemic now with femicides.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So how does today’s round table push women along on that mission towards financial security? What are some of the things they’ll be learning or delving into?”

 

Dr. Minerva Pinelo

“A lot of our women have ideas for their businesses. The passion is there. They have business plans, but when it comes to the startup capital who gives them seed money, how do they move from just paper to having a business? And so our network is very keen on connecting with the women in these communities represented here by many of our panelists who will have these business ideas, but will be waiting for programs like those by NIME to help them to accelerate and to have the capital needed to make that launch.”