Member states of the United Nations have assembled at the U.N. Headquarters in New York for the next two weeks to assess advancements across the globe on gender equality recognizing existing challenges with a view to developing standards and policies for the advancement of women worldwide. A strong delegation of Bahamians is currently in New York attending the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) - a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The session commences following International Women's Day which was on March 8, 2014 but commemorated by the United Nations, several countries and agencies including The Bahamas on March 7, 2014.
In light of the foregoing, we briefly deviate from the fiscal reform series this week to consider the work of the CSW, the mandate and agenda for the ongoing discussion with a view to measuring the progress made to date, the work that needs to be done and the way forward within our commonwealth on matters relating to gender equality as well as the advancement of women across our archipelago of islands.
Equality for women is progress for all
In a press statement issued on March 6, 2014, U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka noted that the theme for this year's International Women's Day is "Equality for women is progress for all". This theme is in line with the sentiments expressed by many, including this writer, that greater involvement of women in national and international affairs can only benefit the human race. In this regard, the achievement of true equality for women is long overdue and must be a main feature of a new progressive era in The Bahamas.
The profound words of respected business mogul and investor Warren Buffett on the level of success that the U.S. could potentially achieve by tapping into the other half of its resources in women is also testament to the significant contributions often forfeited by the level of participation of women in public and private leadership. While we continue our voyage toward the actualization of equality for women in our society, it behoves us to acknowledge the fact that significant progress has been made.
Women and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
The eight MDGs were established following the Millennium Summit of the U.N. in 2000 in the aftermath of the adoption of the U.N. Millennium Declaration. The MDGs include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and women empowerment, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental sustainability and the development of a global partnership for development. All U.N. member states and certain international organizations committed to assist in the achievement of the MDGs by 2015.
In comments attributed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon within The MDGs Report 2013, it was indicated that MDGs have been the most successful global anti-poverty push in history. It has been widely suggested that results to date have been uneven especially for women and girls even as the target date fast approaches. The CSW this year rightly focuses on the MDG of gender equality and women's rights. The session should therefore produce recommendations for these vital goals after the 2015 deadline to address violence against women and girls, access to resources and opportunities by women and increased inclusion in decision making at all levels.
It is expected that a post-2015 framework will feature a distinct goal on gender equality and the economic empowerment of women to sustain the momentum attained in this regard and improve on the progress made hitherto. There is much more work to be done and several proverbial rivers to cross. It comes as no surprise therefore that the priority theme for the 2014 session of the CSW is "Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the MDGs for women and girls" as U.N. member states seek to engage in the post-2015 debate to determine the development agenda after the referenced deadline.
The SHE Imperative
Outlining the important role of women in the advancement of nations and progress of humanity, Mlambo-Ngcuka, in a recent press statement, made a global call for what she termed the SHE Imperative. The SHE Imperative calls for the following in relation to women:
o Security and safety from gender-based violence
o Human rights that are respected, including reproductive rights
o Economic empowerment, equal opportunity, education and leadership and full participation.
An important part of this discussion must never be omitted or forgotten and that is the fact that women and girls seek this equality and opportunities with a view to working with men and boys as agents of development in the building of a better world. In the local context, the struggle would be pointless if it is not based on the objective of nation building and contributions in the national interest. In other words, the SHE Imperative must complement the HE Essential which must include the preservation of the human rights of our male counterparts and their economic empowerment and education.
The Bahamian context
The various scorecards issued on the achievement or lack thereof of the MDGs are similar insofar as they conclude that whereas notable progress has been made, there are variations from country to country. In The Bahamas, we have seen a minimal increase in the level of involvement of women in public and private leadership between 2000 and 2014, albeit this is not worthy of a major celebration. On the political front, the level of participation remains low and comparable to the findings in The MDGs Report 2013, which noted that as of January 31, 2013, the average share of women members in parliaments worldwide was just over 20 percent. That being said, it was encouraging to see past and present parliamentarians across political divides unite for a picture in front of the symbolic statue of a Bahamian woman and child described as the "Bahamian black Madonna and Child" in commemoration of International Women's Day.
On the issue of access to education, Bahamian females appear to have outpaced their male counterparts over the same period especially at the tertiary education level. This again is consistent with the U.N. report which indicated that more women than men are enrolled in tertiary education in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and South-Eastern Asia. This is no doubt a disturbing trend that should be investigated and addressed in the national interest. The government through ministries responsible for education, youth, social services and urban development should devise a comprehensive plan to encourage our young men to pursue higher education.
The menace of violence against women and girls continues to plague The Bahamas like other nations. It is important that our government, civic organizations, the religious community and the entire populace join hands to stem this ill within our country. Our leaders must take the lead in this fight and ensure that the requisite level of attention and seriousness is given to a matter so critical to the social and moral fabric of our society.
Finally, it is rather unfortunate that in a 21st century Bahamas, we still have engendered in our constitution discriminatory provisions which imply that the Bahamian woman is inferior to her male counterpart. While it is our expectation that this anomaly will be rectified prior to the MDGs target date of 2015, the point must be made that we have failed to address this issue for 14 years. This may very well be the greatest and most pronounced failure on our scorecard as far as the achievement of the MDGs is concerned.
o Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.

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