The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) devoted significant portions of their leaders' statements at the end of their summit in Germany last week to both entrepreneurship and economic empowerment for women. At the same time, Minister of Social Services and Community Development Melanie Griffin identified 10 "low-hanging fruit" for speedy attention on anti-gender violence initiatives, including the creation of a unified family court system.
The minister was touting the completion of The Bahamas' strategic plan to address gender-based violence (GBV).
Gender issues have assumed increasing significance in The Bahamas, as in the rest of the world, with a crucial focus on ending gender-based violence and increasing the participation of women in the political system. Griffin outlined the steps taken to move these agendas forward during her contribution to debate on the Christie administration's 2015/2016 budget.
The minister noted that in 2013, the government appointed the National Task Force for Ending Gender Based Violence, which was given the mandate to develop a national strategic plan to address gender-based violence. Retired Justice Rubie Nottage was appointed the chairman of the task force with Dr. Robin Roberts and Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson as co-deputy chairpersons. An oversight committee, comprised of Cabinet ministers with responsibility for social services, health, education, national security, youth and sports and legal services was appointed to oversee the implementation and coordination of the national strategic plan to address gender-based violence.
She said that task force has completed its work, presented its report to the government and tabled the executive summary. The major recommendations contained in the executive summary include multi-sectoral coordination, institutional strengthening, advocacy and awareness, education and training, research and surveillance and coordination of activities of civil society and other stake-holders. The task force has created a strategic plan with immediate, short and long term implementation strategies.
"We want to be able to give speedy attention to the immediate implementation action which is referred to as "the 10 low-hanging fruits". These programs are identified as practical, doable, low-budget, measurable and all public health prevention-based initiatives, to be undertaken by a mix of government agencies and credible community organizations," Griffin said.
These critical initiatives include the creation of a unified family court system, a national community awareness program and a Department of Gender Affairs. The plan also contemplates establishing family island coordination councils for gender-based violence and advancing The Batterer's Program for the perpetrators of gender-based violence, and projects revolving around building a sexual assault response team, a domestic violence fatality team and enhancement of the Bahamas Crisis Centre.
In addition, the plan includes a focus on male mentoring through implementation of a CariMAN project and a Reclaiming Our Boys Project. The short-term implementation establishes a statutory anti-GBV Authority, a three-tiered organization with a bottom-up approach: the Anti-GBV Community Council, the Anti-GBV Secretariat and the board of the GBV Authority. The long term implementation focuses on community-driven anti-GBV programs.
"Be assured that this will not be just another report that will sit on a shelf gathering dust. An accompanying implementation plan has been prepared which sets out timelines and costing for the implementation of the recommendations," Griffin said. "Gender-based violence is taking a heavy toll on our country, which cannot be denied or ignored, hence urgent and deliberate action will be taken to implement the recommendations of the task force," the minister added.
G7 on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment
The G7 leaders said in their statement at the end of the summit that women's entrepreneurship is a key driver of innovation, growth and jobs.
"However, across G7 countries and around the world, far fewer women than men run their own businesses often due to additional barriers that women face in starting and growing businesses. We agree on common principles to boost women's entrepreneurship... and invite other interested countries to join us in this effort. In particular, we will make girls and women aware of the possibility of becoming entrepreneurs."
By the same token, the leaders of the industrialized democracies argued that women's economic participation reduces poverty and inequality, promotes growth and benefits all.
"Yet women regularly face discrimination, which impedes economic potential, jeopardizes investment in development and constitutes a violation of their human rights. We will support our partners in developing countries and within our own countries to overcome discrimination, sexual harassment, violence against women and girls and other cultural, social, economic and legal barriers to women's economic participation.
"We commit to increasing the number of women and girls technically and vocationally educated and trained in developing countries through G7 measures by one third by 2030."
Bureau of Women's Affairs: Leadership for women in politics
Griffin recalled a July 2012 meeting with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which considered The Bahamas' initial to fourth and fifth periodic reports to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
"The Bahamas was required to submit an interim report by July 2014 on the implementation of temporary special measures in areas covered by the convention where women were underrepresented or disadvantaged and address violence against women. One of the areas in which women in The Bahamas were found to be underrepresented is in politics and it was felt that more information needed to be provided for women who have an interest in politics to give them a fuller understanding of political processes should they wish to become active participants other than as voters.
"In this regard, a six-week training program, which is a joint initiative of The College of The Bahamas and the Bureau of Women's Affairs is due to commence on Friday, June 12, 2015. Should this first offering prove successful or oversubscribed, a second offering of the training would be considered."
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