Thirty-five ambitious young women from every region of Belize have crossed the finish line of a transformative six-day residential leadership initiative, the Girls in Governance Leadership Camp, capping off a week of skills-building and collaborative planning for community change. The event, which concluded on August 3, 2026, was jointly organized by Belize’s Department of Youth Services (DYS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), bringing together emerging female leaders from diverse backgrounds to build capacity for public and community leadership.
Unlike conventional youth workshops, the camp was intentionally crafted to address a persistent gap in representation: the underparticipation of young women in governance and decision-making spaces across Belize. Program designers centered the curriculum on closing this gap, combining theoretical learning with practical, hands-on activities that build both hard and soft skills critical for leadership. Participants walked away from the camp with training in core areas including women’s equitable participation in leadership, the foundations of Belize’s democratic processes, confident public speaking, digital literacy for civic engagement, strategic media outreach, and small-scale entrepreneurship.
A key highlight of the program was its focus on actionable impact rather than just learning. By the end of the six days, every participant had developed a personalized leadership roadmap, outlining concrete steps they will take to drive positive social change in their home communities. The entrepreneurship segment of the camp added an extra layer of economic empowerment, with participants working in groups to design original, Belize-themed cultural products, create one-of-a-kind eco-art from upcycled waste materials, and learn the fundamentals of brand development and digital marketing to turn their creative ideas into income-generating ventures.
In a joint statement following the camp’s conclusion, leaders from DYS and UNDP emphasized that the initiative is far more than a one-off training event. It is part of a broader, long-term strategy to break down systemic barriers that prevent young women from stepping into leadership roles across all sectors of Belizean society. By expanding access to skills development and networking opportunities for young female leaders, the program aims to foster more inclusive governance that reflects the needs and perspectives of all Belizeans, while advancing the country’s goals for equitable, sustainable national development.