A previously banned speech prepared by a noted suffragette will be presented during a “special sitting” of the House of Assembly in honour of the women’s suffrage movement‘s 50th anniversary, the Minister of Social Services announced.
Melanie Griffin was speaking at Police Headquarters’ Paul Farquharson Centre where nearly 100 women, including police officers, gathered for a presentation on the suffrage movement as part of National Women’s Month.
Mrs Griffin announced the sitting will take place on Monday, November 26, and will feature a 1959 speech by Dr Doris Johnson. Dr Johnson was not allowed to deliver her speech in the House by the then governing United Bahamian Party.
“Hopefully it will be a joint sitting of both the Senate and the House of Assembly where we expect that 50 years later – you will recall, those of you who are aware will know – Dr Johnson, who represented the women’s suffrage movement at the time, was not allowed into the House of Assembly, was not even allowed to the bar to present the petition on behalf of the women.
“But 50 years later we will make sure – the women who stand on their shoulders will make sure – that petition, that speech she wanted to make will have its day in the House of Assembly,” Mrs Griffin said.
