Dear Editor,
This past week, the women of the Bahamas celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement. In 1962, under the United Bahamian Party (UBP) government, women were given the right to vote in the Bahamas for the first time. Mrs Ruby Ann Cooper-Darling had gone on record as the first female to register to vote in the Bahamas. Since that time, the progress of the development of women's rights had grown by leaps and bounds. So much so, that today, women in the Bahamas are "almost" equal under the constitution and legislature to that of Bahamian men.
Yes, under the old Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government, Dame Dr. Doris Johnson was appointed as the first woman in the Senate, where she also became the first woman leader in the Senate. In addition, she was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Transport. With emphasis now being placed on the rights of the majority by the old PLP government, one would have expected the old PLP government to include women in that majority. Unfortunately, during the twenty-five (25) years of PLP rule, Dame Dr. Johnson was the exception rather than the rule. Not only was she the first Bahamian female Cabinet Minister during the twenty-five (25) years of PLP rule, she was also the last as no other female received such an appointment since.
Incredibly, not even a PLP female Member of Parliament was elected for twenty (20) years until 1987 when Mrs Ruby Ann Darling was elected, representing the constituency of Exuma. However, the priority on Bahamian women by the old PLP was evident in 1982 when the first female, the Hon- Janet Bostwick was elected to Parliament representing the constituency of Yamacraw under the banner of the Free National Movement (FNM). There was no acknowledgment or celebration by the old PLP government of this new milestone in Bahamian Political history and in particular, the advancement of women in the Bahamas.
It wasn't until August 19th, 1992 when the FNM became the government
that the endless potential that Bahamian women could make to the Bahamas was realized. The sky was indeed the limit as women were appointed to the top post in almost any area of government. For the first time in Bahamian history, it appeared that women and men in the Bahamas were approaching some degree of equality. The Bahamas saw for the first time, a female Speaker in the House of Parliament, the first female Foreign Minister
Attorney General, Health Minister, Education Minister, etc. In the Judiciary, for the first time, the top Judge or Chief Justice was a female, Dame Joan Sawyer. And yes, for the first time, a female appointed Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont. For the first time in Bahamian history, the possibility of a female becoming Prime Minister was a realistic one.
However, to further the advancement of Bahamian women, the FNM government had proposed a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the discrimination that exist between Bahamian who marry a non-Bahamian and the offsprings of such a union, and Bahamian woman who utilized their constitutional right to choose to marry a non-Bahamian and the offsprings of such a union. Essentially, Bahamian women marrying a foreigner along with their children had no rights in the Bahamas as far as status was concerned. Since July IOth, 1973, numerous heartbreaking stories about Bahamian women and their foreign families had been brought to the attention of the public through the various medias. One could easily get the impression that the government of the Bahamas just didn't care about the sufferings of hundreds, possibly thousands of Bahamian found out the hard way that they did not have a friend in the old PLP government. Any request for help was met with insensitivity or simply ignoring those desperate cries for help.
Regrettably, the proposed referendum was soundly defeated and the social advancement that women were having under the FNM experienced a major setback. This so called "Christian" nation was anything but "Christian" as Bahamian women married to non-Bahamian husbands and their children essentially were left there on their own to fend for themselves.
It is with total amazement that the Minister of Social Services, the Hon. Melanie Griffin under this current PLP government recently was able to attend a conference in the Dominican Republic sponsored by the Organization of American States. The purpose of this meeting was to reduce, if not eliminate the discrimination of women and promote their equality. How could she face the other delegates from virtually every country in the Western Hemisphere knowing that the PLP party and government that she represents did whatever they could to dent these very rights being given to Bahamian women? The PLP took this denial even further by describing such a well intended proposed amendment to end the discrimination against Bahamian women as evil"! At this conference, hopefully Minister Griffin understood that in the western hemisphere, thanks to her PLP party, the Bahamas remains one of the most backwards in this area, both constitutionally and legislatively.
Even to the point when the Privy Council rendered a unanimous decision in favour or a Bahamian woman who had married a foreigner of thirty years, be given his citizenship in the D'Arcy Ryan case. Those who contemptuously denied Mr. Ryan and his children their Bahamian citizenship under the old PLP are now well represented in the current PLP government.
One of the most popular reasons given by persons voting "NO" during the referendum was that they trusted the judgment of PLP leader., the Hon Perry Christie now Prime Minister. Even though "Justice delayed is Justice denied", Perry Christie promised that within thirty (30) days of becoming Prime Minister, he would appoint a Constitutional Committee to deal with the inequality of the Bahamian women. Well, Perry Christie has now been Prime Minister for over two hundred (200) days and so far, no such committee has been appointed. Certainly, once again the Bahamian people were fooled by this misrepresentation.
Yours etc.,
Dr. Leatendore Percentie, DDS
