Projects

Conversations

This is PETAL’s signature event utilizing a methodology created by the PETAL Team to provide a safe and brave space in which women sit together in a circle to learn, share, listen and support each other. Topics span a variety of areas including relationship, social, legal, sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and mental health issues.

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Annual Women’s Forum

As part of its advocacy strategy, PETAL conducts its annual Women's Forum on or near March 8th International Women’s Day- in observation of that significant day for women's advocacy. We take the opportunity to discuss pertinent national issues that impact women using a panel discussion format.

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‘Herscape’ Valentine Gala

The PETAL Team established this event in 2017 after observing that there was no safe and brave space available to the LGBT community to celebrate Valentine’s with their loved ones without the worry of stigma, discrimination or violence. This event is held on the Saturday closest to February 14th and is used as a fundraising opportunity for PETAL while providing a well-decorated, fun-filled and safe space for dining, dancing and socializing.

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Wellness ‘Fun’ Day

Most of the members of PETAL have children and so this activity was created for the women to celebrate Mother’s Day with their children, family members and supporters in a safe, outdoor space that would allow the children of these families to see that there are other families like theirs. The day is filled with enjoyable, creative activities for the children as well as for the family.

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Gender-Based Violence Outreach (GBV)

PETAL joins the global campaign to address gender-based violence (GBV) by conducting an outreach activity every month on the 25th. We provide information to the public about GBV. What it is, how to access services etc.  As well as sexual and reproductive health and rights. This is done in partnership with other NGOs, businesses and allies.

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Personal & Professional Development Training (PDT’s)

All PETAL Personal and Professional Training sessions focus on empowerment through awareness raising in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. The sessions run for an average of three hours each and bring together a maximum of 20 participants in any one session to ensure adequate learning opportunities for each participant. Each provides basic guidelines, tips or skills about SMART goal setting, relevant communication skills to enter the working environment, necessary professional documents for seeking employment, characteristics of a professional in the work/business filed, or confidence-building techniques that will help participants function confidently in personal as well as in professional and formal settings.

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Familiarization Meeting

Advocacy achieves success through meaningful partnerships. PETAL meets with various individuals and entities of government, civil society, the diplomatic corps and the private sector to familiarize them with our work and explore opportunities for partnership.

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Partners

Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC)

is a coalition of community leaders and non-governmental agencies that are advocates and service providers, working with and on behalf of Caribbean populations who are especially vulnerable to HIV infection or often forgotten in access to treatment and healthcare programs. These groups include men who have sex with men, persons of trans experience, sex workers, people who use drugs, orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV, migrant populations, persons in prison and ex-prisoners, and youth in especially difficult circumstances.

PETAL has been successful in receiving several other small grants through CVCC.In 2015 PETAL received its first small grant from CVCC. This grant allowed for the organization to do capacity building for the organization and continue its signature “Conversations”, become a signatory in the SIDney database (shared incidence database) which logs human rights violations and train several Peer Educators/Navigators in Building Understanding of the Difficulties and Dilemmas In Engaging Services (BUDDIES).

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COC
Netherlands is a Dutch organization for LGBT people. COC originally stood for Cultuur en Ontspanningscentrum, which was intended as a "cover" name for its real purpose. Founded in 1946, it is the oldest existing LGBT organization in the world.In 2016 PETAL signed on to a five (5) year agreement for the (PRIDE)-Partnership for Rights, Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality Program with CoC Netherlands which ends December 31st 2020. The organization with the support of CoC Netherlands, has been able to achieve two (2) out of three (3) of its goals set for the five (5) year engagement. Within the PRIDE program, PETAL has completed two (2) needs assessment of its members that spans throughout the Country of Belize, documented impact stories and done a Lessons Learned.

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Global Fund for women
The Global Fund for Women is a non-profit foundation funding women's human rights initiatives. It was founded in 1987 by New Zealander Anne Firth Murray, and co-founded by Frances Kissling and Laura Lederer to fund women's initiatives around the world. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California. In 2020 PETAL signed unto a two (2) year program with Global Fund For Women to continue our work to provide safe spaces, psychosocial support, capacity building, personal and professional development training and skills building for women’s empowerment.

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Astraea
The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is an international charitable foundation based in the United States focused on issues related to LGBT and intersex rights. The organization provide grants to individuals and organizations, promotes philanthropy, and provides capacity building assistance. PETAL is currently a grantee providing a one year legal review desk to continue to ensure that women are able to seek gender justice. It also captures Personal and Professional Development Training and Psychosocial Support.

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UNTF
Women's Autonomous Livelihood Beyond COVID-19 Crisis project targets lesbian and bisexual women of African and Indigenous ancestry with low education levels who are active in the informal economy and are impacted by COVID-19.  The 300 lesbian and bisexual women targeted will be equipped with skills, capacities, and a support network that includes financial and entrepreneurial, individual and group psychosocial support, product development and sales, and skills to become change agents. The boost to the economic project components will afford a greater opportunity for the target beneficiaries to prevent further psychological and economic violence. And will complement the proposed project to ensure that the project applies several strategies of capacity building and skills-building with advocacy for policy reform, income generation activities, and a network of financial and entrepreneurial public-private partners

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CARSI Grant
The Equitable Corruption- Free Public Service Delivery project in Belize has been implemented with funding from the US Embassy in Belmopan for over two years. This project addresses the diversity support needs of women, youth, and families. By September 2025, the project hopes to strengthen the capacity of 10 targeted communities to engage with and monitor transparency in governmental services’ delivery through increased awareness of legislation, strengthened understanding of, and zero tolerance attitude for corruption. The project also expects to enhance at least three government-civil society partnerships, support certification of mental health and legal assistance personnel available to the target communities, and increase the number of available providers at the community level offering mental health support.

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