The World Bank has approved a new initiative aimed at expanding early childhood education and increasing women’s participation in the workforce in Belize.
Approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on April 20, the Belize Early Childhood Development and Female Empowerment Project seeks to improve access to quality, inclusive early childhood education while creating new opportunities for women to enter or return to the labor force.
Belize currently faces significant gaps in early childhood education. During the 2023–24 school year, only 39 percent of children aged three and four were enrolled in preschool. Access to formal childcare also remains limited, with just 24 registered daycare centers nationwide, all located in the country’s main cities.
These shortages disproportionately affect women’s employment. Belize’s female labor force participation rate stands at 43.6 percent — below the Latin America and Caribbean average. According to the 2022 census, 65 percent of women in households with children aged 0 to 4 left employment to take on family responsibilities, more than double the rate in households without young children. The impact is even greater in rural and Mayan communities.
To address these challenges, the project will add 60 new classrooms to existing primary schools in communities with high demand but no current preschool access. An additional 30 preschools will be rehabilitated or upgraded to improve learning environments and teaching quality.
The initiative will also establish or upgrade approximately 80 early childhood development centers through partnerships with communities, community organizations, and private providers. These centers will provide developmental services for children up to age four.
Lilia Burunciuc said the initiative is both an education and economic investment.
“Access to quality education and care is as much an economic issue as it is an education one. When caregivers can trust that their children are in safe, nurturing environments, they are free to participate fully in the economy and society,” Burunciuc said. “This project invests in both Belize’s youngest citizens and the women who care for them.”
In addition to expanding access, the project will also focus on improving service quality and strengthening climate resilience at education facilities. The initiative is expected to increase preschool enrollment, reduce childcare barriers, and create jobs within the early childhood education sector.
The project will be financed through a US$23.5 million credit from the International Development Association, along with a US$1.28 million grant from the Early Learning Partnership.
Officials say the investment is expected to strengthen Belize’s workforce over the long term while supporting women’s economic participation and improving outcomes for young children.
