A community mobilizer in Belize empowering women in her community

“Reaching out is my heart’s desire because I want women to know that there is better for them,” says Jane Martinez, Principal of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, who became a community mobilizer through a community-based capacity building workshop on the root causes of family violence offered by the Child Development Foundation (CDF) and supported by the Spotlight Initiative. The CDF is a social justice non-profit organization providing services in church and non-church settings which includes social interventions for child abuse and domestic violence, such as counselling, advocacy, and training. The workshop held in 2021 equipped Jane with the knowledge to implement strategies in her community to promote gender equality and prevent family violence.

The ripple effect of empowerment

"I accepted because it is a good initiative to help women get out of violent situations, women realize that they can do it and begin to love themselves and their children enough to leave," Jane Martinez, Community Mobilizer 

Jane mentioned that enrolling in the workshop empowered her, as she is now well informed and can relay this information to other women in her community. She noted that when community leaders and members join opportunities like these, they can create a positive ripple effect in the communities they serve. She particularly joined the workshop because she has “witnessed several women who feel that it’s the best they can do, although they are being abused,” she continued, “ so when I was approached to do the training and asked to do outreach, I accepted because it is a good initiative to help women get out of violent situations, women realize that they can do it and begin to love themselves and their children enough to leave.”

Jane explained that women in her community are often of low socioeconomic status where there are high instances of emotional and verbal abuse; apart from physical abuse that is the most widely recognized form of abuse in Belize. Additionally, children are often sexually abused in their homes and Jane says the training made her more aware of the impact family violence as a whole has on them. Jane was able to refer women out of violent situations to services, like counselling, being offered by the CDF. She adds that women who come out of violent situations can then share their experiences to empower others and become advocates.

An advocate for the community

“Listening to the stories of women, reaching out to them, gaining their trust, empowering them with information, and supporting them feels good,” says Jane, “I have become a strong advocate for eliminating violence against women and girls and have talked to my staff members at school, who I know were experiencing violence at home, and my women’s group at church.”

As a school principal, Jane often approaches women in her community, especially those with children, by talking to them about school and delves deeper by sharing information about family violence. Jane explained that apart from reaching out to people at her school and the community health centre close by, she asks those she’s come in contact with to “share information with their neighbours, friends, or people close to them because they may be experiencing violence as well,” she continues, “I give them brochures provided to me by CDF, add my number and let them know that they can even come and see me.”   

"If violence runs rampant in our communities, the more women who are equipped with information and know where to seek help, the better off communities will be," Jane Martinez, Community Mobilizer 

Jane says that community mobilization helps because “if violence runs rampant in our communities, the more women who are equipped with information and know where to seek help, the better off communities will be.”

A total of 25 women community mobilizers were identified and trained throughout Belize from 17 communities who then engaged women in their communities on family violence issues connected to domestic violence, child abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of children. Due to the efforts of community mobilizers like Jane, 162 women were identified as in need of further intervention and were referred to CDF.

By Perla Hinojosa