Five National Garifuna Council (NGC) representatives attended the First Afro descendant Women’s Encounter which was held in Guatemala from July 25 – 27, 2018. The Women’s Encounter will be an annual event that seeks to bring together all relevant entities committed to the advancement of Afro descendant women in Central America.
The Belize delegation included NGC President, Sandra Miranda; Assistant Secretary and Chair of the NGC Women’s Committee, Melissa Zuniga, NGC Secretariat, Fidelis Mejia; Vice President of NGC Hopkins Branch, Barbara Nunez; and NGC Founding Member, Phyllis Cayetano.
The delegation participated in discussions that focused not only on the development of Afro descendant, Afro-Central American, Afro-Caribbean and Garifuna women in Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, but also identified challenges that these women still face in their daily lives.
The participants also celebrated International Afro-central American Women’s Day (July 25th), and toured the municipalities of Puerto Barrios and Livingston. A declaration was also signed by all participants that included: Education of women, culture and women’s health and continued promotion of equality, equity and inclusion of Afro Central American and Afro Caribbean women in politics.
