NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As the Department of Social Services continues consultation with various organizations in the community, on the Sexual Offenses Amendment Act draft legislation, which seeks to criminalize marital rape, some groups have expressed the need for more dialogue with the government.
Minister of Social Services Obie Wilchcombe stated this week that his ministry plans to meet with the Baptist community and the Bahamas Christian council for further consultation in the coming weeks.
In response, Founder of Women United Prodesta Moore yesterday said it appeared as if civil society has been underrepresented in these discussions with the government.
"It seems like the church has more say in this than civil society organizations and women-led organizations, they're not coming to us," Moore said.
Moore acknowledged that the consultation is necessary but said that it should be done with a greater sense of urgency, seeing that the Bahamian government has already signed off on international treaties in agreement with this human rights-related issue.
"We're ready for it but we're not getting an invitation [...] it's very important that's why when he made those statements we were so upset because we've been doing our part in terms of saying that these bills need to be passed.
"[...] It should not be taking as long as it has been so they are dragging their feet for whatever reason and I Can honestly say that this is not a priority for the present government, not to say that they are not interested in it happening but they have other matters that's at the top of their list and this is not one of them," Moore continued.
"We have signed on to all of these conventions, so this is not something that just came about this is something that has been lingering for a while."
The women's rights advocate said that compared to the churches, only a small amount of NGOs have been invited to the table.
"They are coming to a few of them specifically they would go to Civil Society Bahamas which does not represent the majority of the women-led organizations and you have a hand full of them and I've seen it myself.
"Even with the last one that they had last year, at Breezes, I noticed that the room was filled up with people from the churches and it was a small percentage representation from the NGO sector," Moore said.
"And I'm wondering if it's intentional but to have a separate meeting I don't know if they are being hassled or getting a lot of negative feedback from churches, but they can't just look at the churches they have to look at civil society organizations and women-led organizations to get our take."
Moore added that an open letter, supported by over thirty women's groups, calling for remediation efforts was sent to several government offices last May and to date, they have gotten no response.
In the letter, requests were outlined and made for; Legislation to support a Gender Based Violence Authority, Shelters and Safe Houses, Additional Courts and Resources, Enactment of the Gender-Based Violence Bill, Enactment of a 'Victim's Bill of Rights', Removal of Reservations from The Bahamas' Commitments to the World, National Repository of GBV Statistics, and Law Reform and Public Awareness.
She explained that a copy was sent to the Prime Minister, the Attorney General, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Social Services, the Commissioner of Police, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, and a few others.
"There were several persons, definitely the Prime Minister was one of them and no response from any of them, the Department of Public Prosecutions, we copied as many people as we possibly could to say that we need to have these bills presented and tabled that we haven't gotten.
"Then I referenced it again when Women United went to the Prime Minister late last year after Clint Watson made that statement, he said that he had not seen the letter and he asked me to forward it again, and still no response," Moore said.
Press Secretary Clint Watson was asked during the Office of the Prime Minister Press Briefing on Thursday to respond to criticisms of the government seemingly prioritizing churches over NGOs.
He said that the government does plan to meet with more organizations as the consultation process continues.
"Those are the meetings that are upcoming but those aren't the only meetings they have met with, they have met with organizations, they have met with women's groups they have met with civic organizations," Watson said.
"And so it's not just as lopsided as it appears by saying the Christian groups those may just be the meetings that they've included or are having next but it's not only been the church. Instead of bringing legislation and then having debates and disagreements, they want to make sure they have buy-in from all parties involved on all sides and so that's continuing to happen, which is why no date has been attached to it going to parliament as yet."
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