The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government simply does not care about the rights of women

The PLP has Failed to Protect the Rights of Women

Democratic National Alliance - Press Release:

History has shown that Bahamian women continue to make up a significant block of this country’ voting electorate; however this Christie led administration – whose victory at the polls was due in large part to the high voter turnout among women – has proven itself unworthy of that vote of confidence.

This PLP government simply does not care about the rights of women. Over the course of his term in office thus far, Mr. Christie has paid only lip service to the idea of female empowerment and equality while allowing those under his direction to further trample on the freedoms of Bahamian women across this great country; women who continue to contribute in meaningful ways to the development of our communities, and our democracy.

The PLP campaigned and won on the promise of a referendum which would finally address constitutional inequalities against women; however, more than 50 years since the women’s suffrage movement, months after receiving the recommendations of the constitutional commission, and more than two years in office, this government has not seen fit to make good on this promise.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has instead postponed the date of the planned referendum twice and his administration has, during this time, failed to undertake the promised educational campaign intended to make the public more aware of the key points at the heart of this very important issue.

While the Democratic National Alliance is saddened by this reality, we are not at all surprised. Since taking office, this administration has failed to meet its own deadlines on issues of national importance. As with issues such as Value Added Tax, National Health Insurance, the Freedom of Information Act, the implementation of the Sexual Offender’s Registry and countless others, the government has faltered consistently, failing not only to meet its own self-imposed deadlines, but also in providing the public with the necessary updates required to inspire confidence in the electoral process.

The government’s amateurish handling of the gaming referendum and the subsequent decision to go against the will of the people in that regard is additional proof of this government’s ineptitude and lack of focus. The decision to regulate the industry after a resounding “NO” at the polls has only further undermined the public’s faith in our country’s still developing democracy and has undoubtedly cast a shadow of doubt over any future referendums. How can the electorate be sure that the government will honor the outcome of the vote? How can Bahamian women trust that the rights they vote to protect will not be overturned at the whim of an indecisive leader?

This PLP government has failed the women of the Bahamas. They have denied women across the country basic rights and have compromised the process by which those rights can be achieved in the future. Sadly, on the issue of gender inequality this Christie led government has shown itself, ill-equipped and unwilling to protect future generations of Bahamian women.

July 01, 2014

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader - Facebook

The condition of women's equality in The Bahamas today

"Join me on the Bridge" 03-08-14 Remarks by Branville McCartney

Mr. McCartney was indeed humbled for the opportunity to address women on International Women's Day at the event "Join me on the Bridge" in Freeport, Grand Bahama. He was the first male to be chosen to speak at this event since its inception.

"A Celebration of Women"
The woman.
The better half.
The backbone of society.
The one behind every good and successful man.

Nature has, for the most part, made her physically less intimidating than man.  But although she may be, or appear to be, the physically weaker of the sexes, she is always the strength of a nation.

If her work is never done, it is because caring for current and future generations is a full-time, all-consuming, and lifelong work, in and out of the home.

As once expressed by Margaret Thatcher, "...if you want anything said, ask a man.  If you want anything done, ask a woman."

To my colleagues, to the organizers and patrons of Join Me On the Bridge, to our visitors, and to all of you here with me, it is my great pleasure to be with you today, and to speak to you, in celebration of International Women's Day.

It has been 51 years since women got the vote in our Bahamas, but, in many ways, they continue to fight for some very fundamental rights by way of activism in women's equality.  And these rights, in large part, are very slow to realize, because the basic tenet of women's equality begins with the perception of women's equality.  Changing a perception is - and has always been - more challenging than changing a law.

There are many facets of our society that continue to move us along in the antiquated ways of the past, never truly giving light and precedence to the importance of women's empowerment.  And there are many people who remain ignorant of, or negligent in, the ongoing pursuit of gender equality for Bahamian women.

So much that women have accomplished in business, in government, and in their home lives, goes unnoticed, or is taken for granted.  So much that is not right, but is considered tradition, is overlooked, disregarded, and continued, because complacency and status quo are easier than improvement.

To this day, a Bahamian woman's child, unless born to a Bahamian man, is not born a Bahamian citizen.  It is a frustrating, unfair, and sexist position, the origins of which are remarkably archaic and equally unbelievable.  But this is something passed down into our laws from centuries ago, in a world where men were even more boldly regarded and treated as more human and worthwhile than women.

And these laws were written by men, of course... men who, for all the good that comes their way when women are content, have never sought to rectify this injustice once and for all, by fully aligning themselves with women in the cause for women's equality.

It is now up to the men who stand strong in this era, to ensure that women who, of their wombs birth generations of brilliant men and women, can pass on their Bahamian citizenship to the children they give birth to anywhere in the world, and with a spouse who possesses any nationality.

Women are discriminated against, even in the workplace, with respect to their opportunities for career advancement and the equality of their pay for doing the same jobs men do.  This is a more subtle, yet still prevalent, occurrence of the inequality of the sexes.  But there is no reason, whatsoever, why a woman who has the same education and training as her male counterpart, goes to the same school that he does, has the same work experience that he does, should ever be considered unequal to him, or incapable of leading a company or a government (or a family) to success, at an income that is equivalent to the one he will be offered.

I have a wonderful, hardworking, and beautiful mother.  I have wonderful, hardworking, and beautiful sisters.  I have a wonderful, hardworking, and beautiful wife.  I have wonderful, hardworking, and beautiful daughters.  I have wonderful, hardworking, and beautiful aunts. They are all dear to my heart.  And as important as my mother, my sisters, my wife, aunts, and my daughters are to me, so are the issues of women's rights, women's equality, and women's empowerment.

I want my daughters to grow up in a country... in a world... which is fair to them, and does not assume that because they are beautiful, feminine, or female, makes them any less qualified to do important work. And the only way I can help them to live the lives they deserve is to do my part as their father, and as a man, to ensure that right is done by and for them.  And I encourage each of you - man, woman, boy, or girl - to recognize, respect, and advocate for the equal value and rights of the women of our country.

When the whole Bahamas does this, along with the whole of America, the whole of the United Kingdom, the whole of Europe, the whole of India, the whole of Africa, etc., it changes the world we live in for the better..... and for the long haul.

Men can, in support of all women, in their ongoing fight for full equality, be good, responsible, and fair fathers to their daughters, husbands to their wives, sons to their mothers, and bosses to their employees, affording women and girls the opportunities to dream and to realize their dreams, to grow and flourish in them, to stand firm in their convictions, and to express the ideas and sentiments that change nations.

"What would men be without women?" the esteemed author, Mark Twain, asked in his writing.  To his own question, he replied, "scarce sir... mighty scarce." 

The condition of women's equality in The Bahamas today, particularly the ill-conceived notion that a woman is a man's possession, punching bag, servant, or source of pleasure and nothing more, is a direct result of the fact that men (and women) have not sought to make it different, and ultimately better, for all women.

Let us not allow this to be the case, after now.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for allowing me to share this special day with you.  I hope you will enjoy it and to all of you a good afternoon.

Branville McCartney on Facebook 

Domestic Violence in The Bahamas... ...The Bahamas is among countries that have a very high level of lethal violence against women... ...reluctance on the part of law enforcement authorities to intervene in domestic disputes

Violence Against Women A Widespread Problem, Says Us

By RUPERT MISSICK Jr

 

 

 

 

VIOLENCE against women continues to be a “serious, widespread problem” in the Bahamas, a newly released 2012 human rights report from the US Embassy allegeges.

 

In August of last year, the police reported that 464 domestic violence cases were registered in 2011, representing the highest recorded in the previous three years. One third of the 1,285 interventions conducted by the Bahamas Crisis Centre (BCC) in 2011 related to domestic violence, and the centre experienced similar trends during the year.

 

The country’s record with regard to its treatment of women has been documented by other organisations as well.

 

The Bahamas is listed by The Small Arms Survey – an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland – as being among countries that have a very high level of lethal violence against women – six women per 100,000 of the female population.

 

According to The Small Arms Survey, firearms play a major role in these deaths.

 

“Many women report having been threatened with a firearm before they fall victim to a (murder). Firearms in the home similarly represent an increased risk to women as they are more likely to be used to threaten and inflict harm on family members than to protect the home from intruders.”

 

In July, the police commissioner reported that many of the murders that took place were related to domestic violence, and another official indicated that 45 per cent of all homicides over the last 20 years could be attributed to domestic violence.

 

Ten women were killed during 2012, compared with 16 in 2011.

 

According to the report, women’s rights groups cited some reluctance on the part of law enforcement authorities to intervene in domestic disputes.

 

The BCC worked with police by providing them with a counsellor referral service to utilise when encountering rape victims.

 

“In June, a minister of state called for the BCC to change its policy of requiring those in need of counselling to come to the centre rather than dispatching volunteers to people’s homes. The BCC director pointed out that none of the centre’s staff are paid and reiterated that police should be the first point of contact for domestic disputes,” the report said.

 

The report pointed out that while rape is illegal, the law does not protect against spousal rape, except if the couple is separating, in the process of divorce, or if there is a restraining order in place.

 

The maximum penalty for an initial rape conviction is seven years; the maximum for subsequent rape convictions is life imprisonment.

 

The report points out however, that in practice, the maximum conviction was 14 years. Survivors reported 97 rapes during the year compared with 107 in 2011 – when authorities initiated only 40 prosecutions for rape.

 

Authorities declined to provide more recent figures.

 

April 25, 2013

 

Tribune242

 

Caribbean Blog International

 

Daily routines of many women affected by the threat of crime in The Bahamas

Living in fear

Taneka Thompson
Guardian Senior Reporter
taneka@nasguard.com

Every time Kayla Sands comes home she checks under the bed and looks in the closet for signs of an intruder.

Her fear of being surprised by an attacker interferes with daily errands, keeps her anxious and constantly on guard. Sands, whose name has been changed because she did not want her identity disclosed, considers herself ‘paranoid’ but said her fear is justified. A man held her up at gunpoint one afternoon last year as she picked up lunch at a popular restaurant.

Sands believed the gunman, who threatened to kidnap her and eventually stole her car, was going to kill her. Luckily she escaped the holdup alive, but in the months after the incident her anxiety over future attacks has intensified.

“I can’t even open my door to take out my garbage or sometimes even go to the bank to withdraw money by myself,” said Sands.

“I keep looking over my shoulder because of my fear that someone is going to follow me home. When I get home I look in the closets and check under the beds. It makes me very uncomfortable doing my daily routine.”

Her fear has grown after news broke Monday that over the past few months numerous women in New Providence have reportedly been raped during home invasions.

“I want a gun now. I want to be locked and loaded - I want two. [My fear] is amplified now. I didn’t even know a rapist was on the loose,” Sands told The Nassau Guardian yesterday.

She is not the only woman in New Providence who now wants to arm herself against potential rapists and other would-be attackers.

“This makes me want to go and buy a gun,” Rochelle Wells, whose name has also been changed, said yesterday, referring to the reported rapes. “It’s one thing to get robbed and even killed but I think getting raped - I can’t imagine that not being the greatest fear for any woman.”

Wells said she was the victim of a gun attack on a night in 2010. She said two armed men robbed her and her boyfriend as they pulled up to her home in eastern New Providence. The attackers shot at her car and made off with her purse.

Wells, an avid runner, is now thinking about adjusting her exercise schedule to make herself less vulnerable to attackers.

Karen Davis, who also did not want her real name disclosed, said she found out about the rapes through Facebook long before the reports made the news. She said the police should have warned the public earlier.

“We live in an Internet age and it is common to find out information from the Internet before anywhere else,” Davis said. “When you read something on the Internet, you are not sure if it is true or if the story is being exaggerated but once it was in the news, I took it more seriously.”

She said the fear of crime has not altered her life too much but she is vigilant when driving home at night.

“I do take the extra time to check the windows and doors and my surroundings before I go outside or when coming home,” Davis said.

On Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said four alleged victims who live in eastern New Providence, reported sexual assaults over the past few weeks. This led police to increase patrols in undisclosed areas.

Four more alleged rapes occurred in western New Providence over the past few months, Ferguson said.

He added that police have received reports of one or two men breaking into homes in quiet communities and holding residents at gunpoint between 2 a.m and 6 a.m. to steal jewelery, cash and sometimes rape women.

Jun 27, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International