Shining a Light on the Spotlight Initiative’s Mobile Clinics in Belize

Jackie is one of the many women who have benefitted from the mobile women’s clinics supported by the European Union through the Spotlight Initiative. Equipped with nurses, counselors, and even attorneys, the clinics have been enabling women in rural Belize to seek out the services that would normally take significant time and money to access. That includes counseling services provided to survivors of domestic abuse.

According to the Belize Crime Observatory, there have been 1,183 police-reported cases of gender-based violence in the country since 31 December 2022. That includes 1,099 cases of domestic abuse. Additionally, almost 7 in every 10 cases of gender-based violence in Belize reported in 2022 involved persons ages 18 to 45.

“A lot of people have this notion that, if it’s not physical it’s not abuse,” Tillett told us. “But I can tell you from experience that abuse comes in many different forms.”

Belize Technical Office

Upon arrival at her village’s mobile clinic, Jackie greeted everyone with a wave and a bright smile. But bubbling up beneath that smile, she would later admit, was anxiety. She’d never had a counseling session before, but after some encouragement, she’d decided to visit the clinic and give therapy a try.

For many women, having access to such services can lead to pivotal moments in their lives, including taking the first steps toward breaking free from abusive relationships.

For Jackie, who had done just that five years prior, the mobile clinic was the place where she learned she could receive counseling for the years of abuse that she had suffered at the hands of her common-law husband. There, she could speak with a trained professional about the anxiety and depression that she has lived with ever since she left. 

The European Union stands against all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and provides support for its prevention and assistance for the protection of victims in Belize. With a focus on rural communities, especially in Belize's western and southern districts, the mobile centers act to reduce the barriers that exist for women and girls hoping to access medical care, legal advice, and even psychosocial support. Even more, the clinics bring awareness to the women in these communities regarding the fact that such services do exist.

“I didn’t know that you could talk to somebody about this,” said Jackie. “I have been out for over five years and it still has an effect on my life.”

Jackie learned of the mobile clinic through her village’s community Facebook page. Seeing that the European Union funded Spotlight Initiative is a program dedicated to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls, she felt safe enough to head out and visit the clinic.

Belize Technical Office

“At first I said, ‘Okay, well I’ve been there, so I’m going for the medical aspect of it’.”

Jackie noted that she hoped to access the free pap smears and breast examinations that the clinic had been offering, especially considering that such exams usually come at a cost. While waiting to see a doctor, however, she learned that the clinic also offered counseling. Her session took only sixty minutes, but she believes that the one hour made a significant impact on how she addresses her mental – and physical – health.

“When there are initiatives like these, I encourage my women – and even the men – to come out. Come out, and open up.”

Healing, said Jackie, is important for everyone, and access to counseling has helped her to start doing just that.

“We need to heal,” she said. “If we’re not healing, then it will never stop – it will always continue to get worse.”

Belize Technical Office

The Global Spotlight Initiative is the world’s largest targeted effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls. A joint Initiative of the European Union and the United Nations in collaboration with government and civil society partners, the initiative aims to show that investing in gender equality and ending violence can make a significant difference in the lives of women.

Through Spotlight Initiative’s continued partnership with civil society organizations over 35,000 women and girls and men and boys have regularly attended community programmes promoting gender equitable norms, attitudes, and behaviours, including sessions on family violence.

*Names have been changed in the article to protect privacy