“End Child Marriage in Belize”

“The time to end child marriage in Belize is now.” That is one of the mottos of the End Child Marriage in Belize Campaign that was launched by the Ministry of Human Development and its partners. The campaign seeks to increase the age of marital eligibility from sixteen years to eighteen. Today, the key stakeholders of the campaign gathered to discuss the proposed changes to the legislation that permits children to marry and the importance of acting on the matter. News Five’s Britney Gordon was there to learn more about this issue in Belize. Here’s that story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

If you are asked whether you know any minors currently married to or in a union with an adult, would the answer be, yes? Chances are it is, because one out of every five girls aged fifteen to nineteen in Belize is in the very situation. As of sixteen years old, teenagers are legally allowed to get married with parental consent. That is the law the Ministry of Human development and its partners are seeking to change by raising the legal age to at least eighteen.  Shakira Sutherland, Executive Director of the National Children and Families Commission, explained that this campaign was born from a call to action from participants of the National Children’s Parliament last year.

 

Shakira Sutherland, Executive Director, N.C.F.C.

“So the campaign is to showcase the information that we have in regards to the legal aspect of it. So what we’re trying to do is that we’re trying to increase the age of marriage, the legal age, from sixteen to eighteen. And this stemmed from the National Children’s Parliament last year. So the bill from the children was that they wanted to end child marriage and the objective was to increase the age. Not only last year’s parliament, but the year before. Talks about vocational studies and then the previous year about child justice and so it is just a showcase that we at N.C.F.C. are working diligently to allow the children’s voices to be heard working with other stakeholders.”

 

The campaign is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Human Development and is supported by partners such as the National Women’s Commission. Minister of Human Development Dolores Balderamos-Garcia says that she is also grateful for the support of the church.

 

 

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“As I mentioned today, we are very happy that many of the church leaders have joined us this morning. I mentioned that no disrespect at all to the sanctity of marriage from the religious perspective, but that you are married not because you might go into a church, but you’re married because you sign a contract. Signing a contract is when you’re married because you go to church, but it is the signing and the sending of that marriage signature to the vital statistics unit, and it is recorded. That is when you’re married and I don’t believe that anyone under the age of eighteen should be allowed to sign a contract.”

 

 

The campaign emphasizes the belief that child marriage is a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence. Beverly Lemoine Castillo is a survivor of several forms of violence, including child abuse and rape. She uses her story of overcoming such trials to empower children and adults. Castillo shares her observations from working with children in similar situations.

 

 

 

Beverly Lemoine Castillo, Child Abuse Survivor

“Most children just keep it in, and then they go out there in the streets and do just things that is not appropriate. Or things that, I wouldn’t say they’re doing, It is bad, but it is things that they’re doing that they’re not aware of, because that’s normal for them. A lot of children do what is normal for them, and I talk about rehabilitation and habilitation. Rehabilitation is return to your normal state of being. Habilitation is to use give the tools necessary to function in everyday life. See, I can’t be rehabilitated because rehabilitation, I can’t, I don’t want to go back to my normal state of being. My normal state of being, like I said, is drugs, alcohol, but you can habilitate me. You can give me the tools necessary to go forward in life.”

 

The campaign is sending a message that the protection of young people is a priority for Belize and that the time to address these issues is now.

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“In other words, the younger you marry, the more likely you are to maybe have a bad pregnancy, the more likely you are to maybe stay out of school, stay out of a job because the earlier you marry, especially it affects young girls, the earlier you marry. You’re taking away your chances of being in school and graduating and having a good career, having a good background, and then having a good career.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.