Don't be deceived on Referendum Day

Thu, Jun 2nd 2016, 04:50 PM

There are many Bahamians who are fearful of change and they acknowledge that they do not understand the questions in the upcoming gender equality referendum. Out of fear they will vote no to ensure that "strange values" do not come to The Bahamas.

They hear some religious leaders and jurists saying these changes will lead to gender equality. They hear others on the other side saying these changes will lead to gay marriage and foreigners taking over The Bahamas.

Let us break these questions down to their simplest elements to make basic what this referendum is about. The first three questions present no new law. They are about citizenship. In our constitution men have advantages in passing on their citizenship in several ways. These amendments seek to give women the same rights that have been in our constitution for men from 1973.

In one way single women have a right to give citizenship to their children that single men don't. Another question seeks to give men that right that women have. Those are the first three questions.

The forth question just seeks to ensure that we do not discriminate against a man or woman because of gender. For example, you would not be able to deny a man a job just because he is a man; or deny a woman a job just because she is a woman.

The word gay is not in any of the questions. There is no reference to same-sex marriage in any of the questions.

There is nothing to fear in this referendum. Men and women work together across The Bahamas. Boys and girls school together in every island. We as a people long ago by our practices agreed that men and women, boys and girls, are equal. We have had women in Parliament; a woman chief justice; women as president of the Court of Appeal. Men are nurses; men work in hair salons; men work in the fashion industry. We live in a society where gender does not bar you from opportunity. Despite how we live, there are relics of the past in our constitution. These referendum questions seek to remove that old gender discrimination.

The Bahamas yesterday was saluted by several international human rights and welfare groups for organizing the referendum. In a joint statement the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Children Fund, United Nations Women, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Pan American Health Organization and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights all commended The Bahamas on the referendum, stating that the move will "promote gender equality in citizenship matters under the constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas".

"If passed, these amendments will ensure that Bahamian mothers and fathers have equal rights to transmit nationality to their children, and that Bahamian women are able to confer their nationality to their non-Bahamian spouses on the same basis as Bahamian men," the statement read.

"The changes would also enshrine the principle of equal rights among women and men in the constitution."

These international bodies get what the referendum is about. It's a simple matter. If you are confused and overwhelmed with all the information circulating, take a moment. Do you think the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church, the Baptist Church and the Seventh-day Adventist would support legalizing same-sex marriage and allowing foreigners to take over The Bahamas? Of course not.

It is okay to vote yes. There is no hidden agenda. The questions were in the newspapers. You can read them yourselves.

As we approach voting day you will hear more things to scare you. Ignore them. We want fairness in our country between males and females. If you believe in this you should vote yes.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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