While several prominent female politicians have come out in support of gender equality, former Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia "Mother" Pratt said she has not given the referendum any consideration as yet.
"I haven't given it any consideration yet," said Pratt when asked if she plans to vote in the November 6 referendum. "I haven't been listening to Parliament. I've retired and I meant that."
When asked if she supports gender equality, Pratt said there should not be any form of gender discrimination in the work place.
"This is all I'm going to say; if a women qualifies for a position pay her, her value, just as you would a man," said Pratt, co-chair of the Urban Renewal Commission.
"If she can do a job, why not? There is no gender in who can do the job. If it can be done by a female or a male, once they are qualified and they can do the job, why not?"
Pratt's comments come as widespread debate on the referendum continues. Over the past several weeks, several members of Parliament, lawyers and religious leaders have expressed concern that the fourth constitutional amendment bill is too vague and could be used in support of challenges for same-sex marriages.
That bill would make it unconstitutional to discriminate against someone based on sex.
In an effort to allay some of those fears, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) female parliamentarians recently announced the start of a campaign in support of gender equality.
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin, Minister of State for Transport and Aviation Hope Strachan, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cleola Hamilton and Senator Cheryl Bazard are heading the campaign.
Hanna-Martin said the women are "anxious" to make gender equality a reality and will seek to keep the debate focused on the issue.
"There is a concern that there are a number of extraneous matters that are creeping into a fundamental debate, which is dealing with a very singular issue.
"It is the ideal that men and women under God's sight are equal and under our constitution that we ought to be viewed equally."
Hanna-Martin said the group intends to create a vibrant ground campaign to pursue the equality issue.
In the two weeks since that announcement, there has not yet been any evidence of such a campaign, however.
Members of the House of Assembly were expected to vote on the bills earlier this week. However, that process was delayed in order to allow members of the religious community to weigh in on the bills before they are amended.
Bill number one seeks to give a child born outside The Bahamas to a Bahamian-born mother and non-Bahamian father the same automatic right to Bahamian citizenship that the constitution already gives to a child born outside The Bahamas to a Bahamian-born father and a non-Bahamian mother.
The second bill seeks to enable a Bahamian woman who marries a foreign man the right to secure the same access to Bahamian citizenship that a Bahamian man enjoys.
Bill number three would reverse the law that prohibits an unwed Bahamian man from passing his citizenship to his child if he or she is born to a foreign woman.
The government proposes to amend bill number four to add the definition of the word "sex" to ensure it is not open for other interpretation.
The four bills must, in each instance, be approved by at least three-quarters of the House and Senate.
Following passage by the Senate, the bills must be approved by a majority of voters in a referendum if the constitution is to be amended.
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