The 2003 PLP Convention was supposed to have been a grand occasion celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the party. Instead it turned out to be a public relations exercise to rewrite history and to present view points with questionable accuracies.
With little to show in the area of accomplishments over the past 18 months, the PLP has no choice than to look at the past to prop-up its current image.
One of the PLP’s claim to fame was that either expressed or implied was that they always promoted the advancement of Bahamian women. Of course this kind of rhetoric sounds good on occasions such as these to fool the crowd as to the real history of the PLP and women’s participation in that party’s affairs. On a special occasion such as this where much accolades was given to its previous leader and father of the nation, Sir Lynden Pindling, no reasonable explanation as to why the mother of the nation, Lady Marguerite Pindling did not attend.
One evening the moderator Kenyetta Gibson, while introducing a female speaker, praised the fact that under the PLP a woman, notably Cynthia “Mother” Pratt had become the deputy leader of the PLP and the deputy prime minister of The Bahamas. He failed to acknowledge any other contribution directly related to the promotion of women by the PLP. Yet during the week of the PLP Golden Anniversary Convention, much credit had been given to the PLP as if they had done so much to enfranchise women with the right to vote.
This, of course, is not a true statement since it was the United Bahamian Party (UBP) government that wrote and passed the legislation that gave Bahamian women the right to vote in 1962.
Much emphasis is also placed on the achievements of persons such as Dr. Doris Johnson, the first female to serve, even though briefly, as a Cabinet Minister. It should be noted that Dr. Johnson was only able to serve as a Cabinet Minister due to the fact that she was appointed (but not elected) as a Senator at the beginning of the PLP reign in 1967. For the next 25 years, women participation in the PLP with the exception of a few such as Ruby Ann Darling was put out into the remote wilderness.
In 1982 when Janet Bostwick became the first woman to be elected into Parliament, there was no acknowledgement by the PLP of this milestone in Bahamian political history.
It wasn’t until 1992 under the Free National Movement Party that Bahamian women ran “en masse.” The FNM victory provided opportunities previously unheard of for Bahamian women. For the first time in Bahamian history, Bahamians saw the first woman chief justice, the first woman Speaker of the House, the first woman attorney general, the first woman governor general, etc.
For the first time, the Bahamian woman felt that they could be whatever they wanted to be οΎ— the sky was the limit. In 2002 by appointing several women cabinet ministers, the PLP was merely copying that the FNM had done a decade ago in 1992.
One of the tragic errors under the PLP with respect to women’s rights happened in 1972. This was when a Bahamian delegation traveled to London to negotiate the Bahamian Constitution. Not a single woman was a part of the official delegation. Consequently, the woman’s point of view was not reflected nor protected in the Bahamas’ most supreme document. Incredibly the defect of inequality was permitted with regards to Bahamian women marrying foreign spouses and children of such a union.
Since July 10, 1973, the lack of consideration for Bahamian women by the PLP has been the source of much pain and suffering often resulting in the break up or separation of families. Even an affirmative ruling in the Darcy Ryan’s Privy Council case was insufficient to soften the hearts of the PLP government to accommodate the cries for help by Bahamian women and their families. In this case, 30 years of marriage and six children born in The Bahamas was, according to the PLP, not grounds to give Mr. Ryan status.
In 2002 when the FNM administration attempted to correct this obvious and shameful wrong in the constitution, it was the PLP who vigorously attacked this legislation. Once again, the PLP’s position was that Bahamian women should remain second class citizens in The Bahamas not equal to Bahamian men. It is with interest to note that shortly after the PLP Convention, the Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin spoke at a service celebrating the beginning of National Women’s Week. She publicly acknowledged “sacrifices and sufferings of the Bahamian women … and to bring attention to the common issues that impact upon our lives and those of our families.”
Well, blow me down! How can Minister Griffin appreciate the suffering of the Bahamian women? How can she fix her mouth to make such statements or make such proclamations knowing full well that she was an active participant on the PLP team that voted for the continued oppression of Bahamian women even when the pain and suffering was obvious. At town meetings, the length and breadth of The Bahamas during the referendum, brave and courageous women, who despite the deep emotions, mustered up the courage to beg their fellow Bahamians especially the women to support this legislation.
One sad but true personal testimony was presented after the other often ending in tears. They did not want others to suffer as they did as the PLP and Minister Griffin did not really care about pain and suffering. They did not want others to suffer as they did. Such desperate appeals fell on deaf ears as the PLP, including Minister Griffin, really did not care about pain or suffering. Minister Griffin’s speech is typical PLP hypocritical propaganda, which they learned to master over the years.
By Dr. Leatendore Percentie
