The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A UNITED States Embassy official has urged Bahamian women not to wait around for men to grant women equal rights under the constitution or outlaw marital rape.

Usha Pitts, chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in The Bahamas, was speaking at the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute (IBWPPI) 14th annual board of directors retreat in Freeport.

The event was held from March 2-3.

During her opening remarks, Ms Pitts said the more women support each other, the more they can accelerate change in the political power structure.

“The fact is that nothing changes for women until we take political power,” Ms Pitts told the gathering.

 She said it was progress when seven Bahamian women were elected to Parliament during The Bahamas’ last election.

 “So, it was really big, not a monumental victory because men still got elected four to one compared to women, but it was progress. And it showed that little by little Bahamian women are starting to take the political power they deserve. And that word is very important because no one gives political power, you got to take it.”

 Mrs Pitts said every time a woman takes political power in The Bahamas, she helps the government reflect the country itself.

 “That is truly what representative democracy is all about,” she added.

 The US Embassy official urged Bahamian women: “Do not wait around for men to grant women equality under the constitution. They had 50 years to do it, and it hasn’t happened.

 “Do not wait for men to outlaw marital rape as I heard so many men say on Bahamian radio there is no rape in marriage. Do not wait for men to give women reproductive rights and control over the health of their own bodies - they won’t do it,” she said.

 In America, she noted that black women and girls are also challenged in terms of equality in a number of areas.

 She said the IBWPPI is aware of them and is working every day to improve the lives of black women and girls.

 “So, I really believe that black girls depend on our ability to make the problem of racial equality a common goal; it has to be an American goal, not just an us goal.”

 The IBWPPI is moving forward to establish the first and only Black Women’s Embassy to help improve the lives of black women and girls globally.

 IBWPPI executive board member Tammilee Jules noted that the organisation is built on five pillars designed to empower black women and address issues they face globally.

 She mentioned the establishment of the Dorothy Irene Heights Global Leadership Academy, describing it as a “training ground for global leaders of the next generation.”

 “For 14 years, IBWPPI continues the work of building strong collaborative relations, connecting with black women and girls around the world. As we travel to their nations, we listen to understand the stories of their plight,” she said.

 “We align with key influencers, world leaders, congresswomen, ambassadors, excellencies, queen mothers and kings in the public policy spaces, using our voices and resources to help bring change, and work to build the restorative bridges in these places,” she said.

 Also speaking was Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey. She said the work of IBWPPI is instrumental in protecting the interests of black women around the world.

 “Your focus on setting a public policy agenda that reflects the interests of black women has a rippling global effect, as demonstrated by the fact that I stand here today as the first female minister for Grand Bahama and a part of a historically female empowered government,” she said.

 Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell noted that women represented 53 percent of the registered voters in The Bahamas, but it does not reflect itself with those who get elected to Parliament.

 “And so, that is one of the works that has to be done. And I am committed to helping women. I am a firm advocate that citizenship laws have to change. We are hoping that the Privy Council rules shortly on this issue for us and helps us all with some of the problems,” he said.

 Mr Mitchell said that the constitution was conceived and drafted at a time when only men were at the table.

“No women were at the table, and at the time the law was that a woman got her domicile from her husband or from her father. And that’s the philosophy which backs what is in the 1972 constitution. The common law position has changed and the statutory law and the country that gave us the constitution, but we can’t get our own people to agree to change it and because they built it in the system that makes it so difficult to change the constitution.

 “You can’t do it, unfortunately it appears by the statute law. So, it is going to take some more public education, it is going to take women to try and lead the way, and we have to support that effort because we can’t have this disability of more than half of the population,” said Mr Mitchell.