I am seized with emotion as I reflect on my time as Belize’s Special Envoy for Women and Children.

​

The enormity of the task that lay before me became apparent on my first countrywide tour as Special Envoy, in 2008. I met with women, children and families in their homes, and I was moved by what I saw and heard: a mother worried for her children’s future, a father who could not afford medical care or equipment for his sons born with a disability, and teens concerned about the planet.

 

They shared with me their stories of violence in their communities, their personal experiences of marginalization and discrimination, their hopes and dreams for their children and the future.

​

As everywhere, Belize is not without its problems – violence, exclusion, discrimination, gender bias. There is much work that remains to be done on behalf of those who are least served by our policies, laws and systems.

​

We must protect all children from violence. And we must empower women, so they have opportunity, representation, choice – and the power to make decisions for themselves and their families. We must level the playing field, to eliminate women’s disadvantage and give them an equal chance with men to succeed.

​

As a young girl growing up in Santa Elena, I learned from my parents that with focus, hard work and persistence I could achieve anything I set my sights on. As Special Envoy, I hoped to inspire others to do the same. 

 

It has been a privilege to serve.

​

Kim Simplis Barrow, 2020

Highlights from the Afterword

​

​

​