By: Omar Silva

Editor/Publisher: National Perspective Bz – Digital 2025

www.Nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Wednesday 26th February 2025

The recent report by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has laid bare the People’s United Party (PUP) government’s glaring failures in addressing gender discrimination and fulfilling its obligations to women, Indigenous communities, and marginalized groups. Instead of enacting critical legislative reforms to protect the rights of women—including Mayan women, women in prostitution, LBTI women, and women with disabilities—this government has chosen to drag its feet, hide behind rhetoric, and ignore the urgent need for change.

Blatant Gaps in Gender Protection: A Constitutional and Legal Void

One of the most damning points in the CEDAW report is Belize’s lack of constitutional protections against gender and ethnic discrimination. Despite international obligations, the government has refused to amend the Constitution to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender and ethnicity, leaving women and marginalized groups vulnerable to systematic exclusion and abuse.

Additionally, the Immigration Act remains riddled with discriminatory provisions, including laws that unfairly target women in prostitution, LBTI women, and women with disabilities. This government has had ample time and opportunity to remove these archaic, punitive regulations—yet it has done nothing.

Ignoring the Caribbean Court of Justice Ruling: A Wilful Disregard for Maya Land Rights

The PUP government continues to blatantly disregard the 2015 Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling that upholds the collective land rights of the Maya people. Instead of implementing this decision in good faith, the government has actively undermined its enforcement by allowing oil drilling, logging, and energy concessions on Mayan land without consulting the very people whose constitutional rights are being violated.

Mayan women and girls—who have been historically marginalized—have been completely excluded from land discussions. The government’s failure to ensure their free, prior, and informed consent is not just negligence—it is an outright rejection of their rights. The refusal to grant collective land recognition and the lack of reparations for decades of land rights violations further expose the government’s indifference to Indigenous justice.

A Pattern of Stalling, Excuses, and Indifference

This administration has proven time and again that it is willing to make grand promises on the international stage but refuses to take meaningful action at home. Despite public statements about gender equality and Indigenous recognition, its actions show a deliberate lack of commitment to reform.

• Failure to amend the Constitution to prohibit gender and ethnic discrimination.
• Failure to repeal discriminatory laws within the Immigration Act.
• Failure to implement the 2015 CCJ ruling in full.
• Failure to recognize Maya collective land rights.
• Failure to grant reparations to Mayan women and girls.

This is not an oversight—this is an intentional, systemic refusal to uphold basic human rights.

No More Excuses: The Time for Action is Now

The PUP government must be held accountable for its failures. Belize’s women, Indigenous communities, and marginalized groups cannot afford to wait another decade while politicians continue to talk without delivering results.

If this administration truly believes in democracy, justice, and human rights, it must immediately:

1. Amend the Constitution to explicitly protect against gender and ethnic discrimination.
2. Conduct a comprehensive legislative review to eliminate all discriminatory provisions, particularly within the Immigration Act.
3. Fully implement the 2015 CCJ ruling on Maya land rights, ensuring the participation of Mayan women.
4. Cease all unauthorized land exploitation on Maya lands.
5. Recognize and uphold the collective land rights of the Maya people.
6. Provide reparations for human rights violations against Mayan women and girls.

Anything less is a continuation of the PUP’s legacy of neglect, broken promises, and systemic discrimination. The people of Belize deserve better.