By Dr. Hubert Minnis
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.” Women of every age and background around the world are coming together to move the cause of women’s rights and protections forward.
Here in The Bahamas, we must continue the fight to ensure enhanced opportunities, ongoing advancement, and protection for women and girls.
My party, the Free National Movement (FNM), has been a champion for the rights of women since our inception. After coming to office for the first time in 1992, the FNM instituted a progressive agenda that empowered women, economically, socially, and politically.
The first woman elected to Parliament, Dame Janet Bostwick, was an FNM, who attained this milestone before the FNM first came to office. It was an early example of our commitment to the participation of women in elected office.
The FNM legislated and put in place legal and public service reforms to eliminate various forms of discrimination. We also ended primogeniture.
Under the FNM, benefits under the National Insurance Board (NIB) were increased, which included benefits for widows and orphans.
We introduced a minimum wage in the public and private sector, equalizing pay for women and men. We also legislated equal pay for men and women in the public service.
The FNM elevated women to roles of authority in the Cabinet, judiciary, legislature, and government and state sectors.
I am pleased to see the increasing number of women who are business executives, business owners and frontline political leaders in the modern Bahamas. The task for this generation of leaders is to further increase female participation in the leadership of our society.
The Bahamas will become a more equal and fairer society the more we increase female participation in leadership in the Cabinet and legislature.
Women in politics
The shift in mindset in the 1990s, driven by the FNM, led to there being more women in frontline politics. Parties select more women candidates.
While these are positive developments, considerably more is needed. We should be bolder. Both major political parties should commit to having at least one third of their candidates as women. This should include measures to attract and promote more women to run for the House of Assembly.
This is a simple pledge that would ensure we have more women elected to Parliament and more women to choose from to put in Cabinet.
It is important to have more female voices at the tables of political decision making. Though increased from yesteryear, there are too few women currently in frontline politics and elected office.
It is also important for more women to come forward and offer themselves as candidates. Politics should not be considered a man’s career. Women have a unique perspective to bring to policymaking and national leadership.
Government policies and decision-making would be enhanced if more women are involved in the formulation and administration of public policy.
Women in business
Women are increasing their presence in business as executives and owners. Businesses run by women are a vibrant part of small- and medium-sized businesses.
We must encourage more girls and women to dream of being business executives and owners. We should use the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as a tool to more aggressively lend to women.
Efforts are already underway via the SBDC to lend to women. These initiatives should be dramatically scaled up to increase the number of female-run businesses.
Many of our women have ideas for innovation that may assist in economic growth and job- and wealth-creation. However, they need more funding and support to transform these ideas and dreams into vibrant companies.
Women-run businesses employ thousands of Bahamians. Giving more support to aspiring female entrepreneurs could help reduce unemployment, including youth unemployment.
We also need to ensure that all entrepreneurship programs are open to girls and women, no matter the economic sector or industry.
Crime and justice
Sexual crimes against women and girls occur too frequently in The Bahamas.
We must ensure that the police and prosecutors have the resources needed to investigate and lead these matters in court.
This requires the government to ensure the necessary staffing levels are maintained in the force and at the prosecutor’s office.
We must also continue to work at lessening the overall backlog in the criminal justice system by making sure the necessary number of judges and support staff are available for matters to be heard.
It is further necessary for The Bahamas to build its own national crime lab. For example, we send away DNA samples for analysis. This is inefficient and limits the use of the latest laboratory technology in crime fighting.
This issue is especially important in analyzing evidence in sex crime cases. Having a national lab would bolster evidence analysis in these matters, helping lead to more successful prosecutions in sex crime matters.
It is also time for The Bahamas to fully criminalize marital rape. Our laws are out of step with modern democracies on this issue. Rape is rape. There should be no protection for married men who rape their wives.
I join with all those who have called for the law to be changed on marital rape. This issue has been discussed for too long. It is time for change.
Standing with our women
I call on all Bahamians, including our men, to stand in “Accelerating Action” toward the further empowerment of women throughout our country. We must stand with our women and not be opponents to reform.
Women are equal to men in ability and human dignity. There is no justifiable reason for there to be any form of discrimination against women.
The Bahamas has a vibrant women’s rights movement. Male policymakers should listen to the suggestions being brought forward by this capable group of leaders.
There should be vigorous cooperation between the movement and policymakers in that when policies and ideas are suggested, policymakers should seek to implement them.
The modern Bahamas should be a place of full equality between men and women. We must work to make this a reality a quarter century into the 21st century.
• Dr. Hubert Minnis is the Killarney Member of Parliament. He is a former prime minister of The Bahamas and former leader of the FNM.
