Applying international human rights laws to promote wellness within the community: On diminishing intimate partner violence in the context of western Belize

Abstract

In 1992, Belize passed the Domestic Violence Act to criminalise intimate partner violence within its borders, and in 1996, it ratified the Convention of Belém do Pará to pledge its allegiance to eradicate all forms of gender-related violence on the American continents. Despite these legal commitments to human rights, and several decades of work by activists to diminish the phenomenon, such legislation is seldom enforced in Belize and domestic violence remains a reality for over half of the women in the country. Condoned by culturally relevant gender hierarchies, this prevalence furthermore contributes to public wellness-related concerns, such as both major and minor external injuries, and also an accelerated spread of HIV/AIDS as well as non-fatal sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In this article, I will address the specific problems which hinder such legislative enforcement and further complicate the administration of health services within one local context, and I will highlight several strategies which advocates are newly striving to employ to help mitigate the situation.

Keywords:

• intimate partner violence
• legislative enforcement
• health service
• gender
• Belize

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the residents of Cayo who have shared with me their stories over the years and who were the ones to inspire me to initiate this study. Great recognition is also due to the dedicated personnel of Mary Open Doors, the Women at Work support group, the Cornerstone Foundation, the Women's Department of the Ministry of Human Development, and the Belize Family Life Association of San Ignacio for their tireless efforts in striving for community wellbeing, and for their willingness to offer me their counsel time and time again. Finally, my appreciation goes to the Tulane Institutional Review Board for ensuring that each phase of this project has met appropriate ethical standards, and, furthermore, to the Stone Centre for Latin American Studies at Tulane University for their assistance in helping to fund this research.