From the Desk of the Representative
Balancing the Scales for Every Girl in Belize
In my short time in Belize, I immediately recognized that women are at the forefront leading with purpose. At all levels - teachers and nurses, social workers and entrepreneurs, public servants and parliamentarians - they are steadily carrying their communities forward. Their leadership is visible from the market to the National Assembly. This year, Belize reached another milestone when Hon. Tracy Taegar‑Panton became the nation’s first female Leader of the Opposition, joining a distinguished cohort of women leaders that includes Her Excellency Dame Froyla Tzalam, Hon. Valerie Woods, and Hon. Carolyn Trench‑Sandiford. These are powerful signals to every Belizean girl: your voice matters and your future has no ceiling.
Though there has been many gains and we’ve made real progress - we’re still not “there” yet. Too many girls still face barriers that limit their choices and shrink their dreams. Balancing the scales is therefore more than a theme - it is our shared task! It means ensuring that the promises we make to girls translate into the opportunities they deserve including the chance to learn, to be safe and healthy, to lead, and to contribute fully to Belize. We are matching that promise with action so that girls grow into strong women who power Belize’s progress.
At UNICEF, we’re not just talking about this change, we’re driving it. Every day, alongside our partners, we’re working to ensure girls grow into the strong, empowered women who will fuel Belize’s future. For the past five years, we’ve built our programmes around a simple belief; go where the needs are the greatest and invest where girls’ potential are the strongest. That’s how we create equity and give every girl the boost she deserves.
Allow me to introduce you to six UNICEF programmes in Belize that are working to get us “there” helping tip the balance for girls:
1. Ending Violence Against Children (EVAC)
In 2025, Belize took an important step by launching a national effort to end violence against children and creating its first action plan to make that happen. UNICEF brought ministries together, helped set shared goals, and supported the use of practical tools like an updated parenting guide that promotes positive, non‑violent discipline.
All of this work aims to protect girls where it matters most: at home, in school, online, and in their communities.
2. Digital Inclusion, Curriculum Reform & Stronger Education Systems
UNICEF is helping Belize build a stronger and more inclusive education system. We've been supporting the rollout of the new competency-based national curriculum, giving all students the 21st‑century skills they need to succeed.
With support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), UNICEF helped launch the Belize Education Alliance and is managing a US$1.6M grant to strengthen planning, data systems, and support for the most disadvantaged learners.
To boost digital learning, UNICEF introduced tools like the 501TeacherAssistant and local history apps, and helped expand school connectivity through the national Digital Transformative Agenda and GIGA partnership. More than 110 girls also gained hands‑on tech experience through Girls in ICT clubs and activities.
Together with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF is ensuring every child, especially every girl, has the skills, confidence, and digital access to thrive in a modern, connected Belize.
3. Adolescent Health & Well‑Being
We’re working to make health services more friendly and accessible for teenagers through the implementation of the National Adolescent Health Strategy that includes better support for their mental health through programmes like Helping Adolescents Thrive. We’re also helping young people take the lead in issues like climate and health including their voices into national planning.
We’re also improving water and sanitation in schools and health facilities and making sure strong hygiene and infection‑prevention standards are in place. Clean water, safe bathrooms, and reliable services protect girls’ health, support their learning, and help them feel safe and confident every day. Most recently, UNICEF is supporting the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls, a lifesaving shot that helps prevent cervical cancer, alongside national immunization campaigns that aim to rebuild public trust and protect the health of future mothers.
4. Social Protection that Works for Girls and their Families
Girls experience heightened vulnerabilities driven by poverty, discrimination, early marriage and unions and violence. That’s why UNICEF is supporting the development of the National Social Protection Policy and Strategy, design a national Grievance Redress Mechanism, and integrate shock‑responsive elements into the flagship social assistance programme of the government BOOST programme so families can withstand crises and keep girls in school, healthy, and safe. We've also consistently engaged girls in our consultations on multidimensional poverty ensuring their voices were incorporated into national planning. When social protection systems are inclusive, equitable and functional, they become powerful engines of gender equity.
5. Data that delivers for Girls powered by MICS7
Balancing the scales also means improving the systems that support girls every day. Together with the government and our partners, UNICEF uses solid data, like the national MICS 7 survey, to understand where girls are being left behind and how to fix those gaps faster. Having up‑to‑date information about girls’ lives helps us design programmes that tackle the right problems for the right reasons. And when decision‑makers have this data in their hands, they can shape policies and services that truly change girls’ lives for the better.
6. MENgage Working with boys to break gender inequality and end violence
Balancing the scales doesn’t mean leaving boys out. It means making sure boys are part of the conversation about protecting girls and supporting their empowerment. That’s why UNICEF is partnering with the Belize City Council on the MENgage initiative. MENgage gives teenage boys a safe space to learn new ways of thinking, build social and emotional skills, and explore healthier ideas about manhood and masculinity. Through group sessions and mentorship, MENgage helps them rethink harmful behaviours, build respect for others, and understand how they can support and uplift girls. The goal is simple: give boys the tools and positive influences they need to grow into men who contribute to safer communities and stronger families.
Through our programmes we’re working every day to make life better for every girl in Belize. So, this month and every month UNICEF stands with Belize to balance the scale for every woman and every girl.
When girls are safe, educated, healthy, and connected, they become the scientists, teachers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and public servants who shape a stronger Belize. This Women’s Month let’s celebrate Belizean women who lead with courage and renew our commitment to every Belizean girl. Let’s balance the scales by investing where it counts: in her safety and health, in her learning and leadership, and in the systems that must never fail her.
Together with government, civil society, the private sector, communities, mothers and fathers, and girls themselves we can ensure that every girl grows into a strong woman who helps Belize thrive. That is the promise of Women’s Month. That is the promise of UNICEF. That is the Belize we are building one confident, capable girl at a time.
Yours in service (and as a girl Dad)
Sajid
Acting Representative, UNICEF Belize
