NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Minister of State for Legal Affairs Elsworth Johnson yesterday commended Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis for his stance on marital rape, agreeing that “rape is rape” and saying he hopes there will be bipartisan support of changing the law.
Johnson said he could not imagine his wife or daughter, when she is eventually of age, unable to enjoy that protection.
“I think the present prime minister got it right when he says no is no, and having regard to the history of the issue, the Privy Council determined in R v R that no is no and I’m encouraging women and men — because a lot has been done by the churches, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, a number of churches, almost all the churches have come out and said violence against women is not to be accepted in any form,” he said.
“…One of the things that the leaders in the community should not do is to make this a political football.
“This should be women-led because whatever affects a woman, affects a man, a boy and or a girl.
“I don’t care what people say, there is only one way to bring life into the world and that’s through a woman.
“…Having regard to the history and their strength, women are not considered to be property, and when one looks at the true history of this and how it came about, it was because they were thought [of] as property.
Women are not considered to be property.
– Elsworth Johnson
“They did not own their bodies, they did not have any rights and so, we have to keep this going and have an honest reflection.”
Johnson said he has been amazed by the stance regarding the need for greater protection taken by women who have had the unfortunate experience, those who do not wish to have the experience and men whose mothers who were raped by their fathers.
He said Bahamians must continue to fight for the rights of women and the government has a role to play.
Last week, the prime minister said the issue of marital rape could be dealt with during his administration’s current term, noting that the government will move to enact recommendations stemming from the National Gender-Based Violence Law Review Forum.
Davis made clear: “Whether you call it marital or otherwise, rape is rape.”
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