The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunmedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe vowed to consider the recommendations of women’s rights groups during a consultative meeting about the Protection Against Violence Act yesterday.

Whether the legislation was rushed through Parliament remained subject to debate, with Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson saying it was pushed so the government could have “talking points” ahead of the 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting between August 21 and August 23.

Ann Marie Davis, the wife of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, denied this, calling the legislation a “great step” in the right direction.

Ministry of Social Services officials met with women’s rights advocates yesterday to discuss the possible amendments to the legislation after opposing the bill before it was debated in the House of Assembly last month.

“One of the things that stood out to me was protective care,” Mr Wilchcombe told reporters concerning the group’s recommendations. “They were very concerned about the emphasis in the previous draft bill, and that’s a gender violence bill.”

Mr Wilchcombe said the groups want the provision for protective care to be more explicit. He said the government would have to find a way to incorporate this into the law. 

“They were concerned about administration and their involvement, and, of course, international treaties,” he added. “The argument is a very good one where you might be a signatory to an international treaty.”

 “We’re all on the same page. They made some recommendations that we believe are worth considering and certainly will be considered through the normal process. We’ll come back within a couple of weeks and discuss with them again and move forward to ensure that once a new session of Parliament begins, we could bring any necessary amendments that we must.”

 Lisa Bostwick-Dean, vice president of Women United, mentioned some of their recommendations.

 She said the legislation gives the minister too much power and involvement. 

 “There are also portions of the act which relate to what aid is available to a victim of violence, but they limited it only to victims of sexual violence,” she said. “And we’re saying that the aid that is available should not just be available to victims of sexual violence but as the new act intends to the victims of all violence.”

 “There were recommendations with respect to financing that the foundation cannot have politically exposed people or any sort of civil government or civil service person as a director or officer of the foundation because that will limit what people will donate if they see that there’s government influence in that funding.”

 The legislation would establish a Protection Against Violence Foundation to raise funds for the Protection Against Violence Commission. The commission would support victims and liaise with police officers when victims feel they lack cooperation from the police. It would also recommend a national strategic plan to combat and respond to violence. Liaising with the minister of social services to ensure sufficient shelters are available to victims throughout the country would be another objective of the commission.

 Mrs Bostwick-Dean said the minister appeared receptive to the recommendations.

 “I don’t know how much we’re going to get out of what we recommended,” she said. “But he certainly said when he finished at the end that he heard contributions that he could say right off the top, it was clear that they were going to have to make adjustments for. I don’t know which particular points he was referring to.”