The government has a lot going against it as it tries to convince the majority of Bahamian voters to support the gender equality referendum on June 7. It is too bad that the YES Bahamas campaign and the government are making moves that will likely do more harm than good to the cause at hand.

For one, this is not solely a women's issue. This is an issue of justice and fairplay. It would impact our sons and daughters alike. This is not just about our daughters. It is not just about women.

Making it just about women is turning off some voters, including some women.
Men, like women, face some discrimination in our constitution.

Question three is a prime example. It would allow unmarried Bahamian men to pass on citizenship to their children born in The Bahamas to foreign women.

We submit that it is a mistake to have the faces of this campaign being solely of women -- and women who may have difficulty connecting with average Bahamians.
It is a mistake, and the postmortem might prove that if this referendum fails.
Currently, the chorus against this referendum is much louder than the chorus in support of it.
This is not a political campaign -- at least it ought not be. But as in political campaigns, perceptions are important to whether measures are successful or not.
The YES Bahamas co-chairs, Senate President Lady Sharon Wilson and former Senate President Lynn Holowesko, are both wonderful Bahamian women.
We love and respect them both.
But their appointments demonstrate yet again that the powers that be are unimaginative in continuing to draw from the same well.

There is an urgent need for a strong, respected male voice to speak publicly to these issues.

We say again, this is not solely a women's thing.

That is turning some people off.

When the referendum bills were passed in the House of Assembly in March, the gallery was filled with prominent Bahamian women -- the attorney general, the wives of MPs, etc.

That was their day. That was unfortunate. It turned some people off.

The marketing of this referendum, the packaging of it, should be adjusted.

The YES campaign ought to identify a strong Bahamian man who could be a leader, who could speak to the issues of this referendum.

The focus ought to be shifted. This is about gender equality, yes, but it is an issue that affects both sexes.

Difficult proposition
While the prime minister is no doubt pleased with the bi-partisan push demonstrated by having a prominent PLP woman and a prominent FNM woman to lead the charge, he and his advisors might be missing the perception that is being given.
This referendum is already a difficult proposition for many people.

It is unfortunate, but not surprising that the debate has become fused with misinformation and emotionalism.

There are several reasons why this referendum -- question four in particular but the entire effort itself -- is a tough sell. The most fundamental could be there is a segment of the population who simply do not believe men and women should be equal. Then there are those who are too homophobic, xenophobic and/or misogynistic to have an honest and sober discussion on the issues at hand.

To be clear, this is not to say everyone who has concerns is homophobic, xenophobic or misogynistic. But the debate over the last couple weeks has exposed just how widespread those fears are among a certain segment.

Others have an inability to separate their disgust toward the current administration from the push for equality. Thus, any initiative brought by the government would likely not be palatable to them. These might include the people who have been waiting to pay back the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) for politicizing a similar referendum brought by the Ingraham administration in 2002.

The PLP voted for the referendum bills in Parliament then turned around and campaigned against the referendum, claiming it changed course because it was against the process. The party used the referendum to help propel itself to power. It was a shameless act for which the current administration has shown no regret. Now the PLP has a sense of urgency over why the current measure is so critical.

There is also a segment of the electorate that is still furious over the disrespect shown to them by the Christie administration which disregarded the outcome of the 2013 gambling referendum. No matter how many times it is explained to these voters that no government could disregard the outcome of a constitutional referendum, it is not likely they would change their feelings on this matter. And so, the voices of those who oppose are ringing loudly.

As the YES campaign seeks to address the issues at hand and attempts to correct misinformation, it must also be careful that it is not getting into any nasty public spats with those who oppose the vote. The response ought to be a consistent release of easily digestible information. The tone should be mature and measured and absent any political flavoring.

At the same time, the YES campaign needs to be careful of perceptions. It should take another look at how it is presently constituted and shift the focus from solely women and promote equality and justice for all.

Failing this, the June 7 vote would become an even bigger gamble than it already is.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian