Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunmedia.net
FORMER Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson says that after a decade of discussions on violence against women, it is time for action, urging the government to pass legislation criminalising marital rape.
Mrs Gibson noted that both the governing party and the opposition have expressed opposition to gender-based violence (GBV). She called on Parliament to pass the necessary legislation, including provisions defining marital rape.
Her comments came in response to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, who said he wants “consensus” on the issue and to understand the views of a broad cross-section of Bahamians, “not just one group.”
“If we want to define marital rape, then we need an amendment,” she told The Tribune on Saturday on the sidelines of the National Women’s Advisory Council symposium.
Section 3 of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act defines rape as “the act of any person not under fourteen years of age having sexual intercourse with another person who is not his spouse without the consent of that person.”
In 2022, the Davis administration proposed a simple change — removing the words “who is not his spouse” from the definition of rape in the law. However, the administration has not followed through on the recommendation.
Mrs Gibson maintained that legal amendments are needed to protect women, stressing that no form of violence, particularly against women and children, should be seen as acceptable in the country.
“I don’t think women should be put in that position to have to figure out which charge am I going to bring,” she said. “I think our society should demonstrate very clearly what our position is.”
She also urged Bahamian women, who make up the majority of registered voters, to take action, likening the fight to the “suffragette” movement.
“We have to act. We have to demand what we want in our country, for ourselves, for our children and for our families,” Mrs Gibson said.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Ryan Pinder revealed that the administration does not expect to introduce legislation to criminalise marital rape before the end of its term. He suggested that every administration has struggled with the political implications of the issue.
This revelation sparked backlash. Human Rights Bahamas accused the government of bowing to pressure from church groups and a male-dominated society, saying it had failed Bahamian women.
Some activists have also criticised the government for ignoring the reality of marital rape. A 2022 University of The Bahamas study found that one in 12 married women — an estimated 4,000 — had been raped by their husbands.
Comments
birdiestrachan 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Separation is the answer. Can not. Live in the same house sleep in the same bed and call marital rape these high and mightey women who could not care less about common folks maybe surprised to learn how many women disagree with them . Some of them find it hard to speak to common people
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Suggest you stop raping your companion ChiCom troll bot.
birdiestrachan 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Enough people on bail now .back log of cases you want to add more cases that can not be won
Empiricist 2 weeks, 3 days ago
This issue is very complex and complicated. If you want to have a law against “marital rape” , whatever that means, then let us take a look at the discussion of a law accepting extra marital affairs ( legally referred to as adultery ) as well as accepting polygamy.
As the review of the literature on sex and the empirical results on sex needs of the sexes show, a woman’s sex drive diminishes over time compared to the sex drive of a man. Before marriage women are quick to drop their panties and be willing to have sex with their husband to be. This willingness diminishes rapidly over time once the they have the ring. And that is why as they saying goes marriage has THREE rings. Two for the woman and one for the man. The woman gets the engagement ring and the wedding ring while the man gets the suffering.
On a serious level, what do you think motivates men having affairs outside of marriage and committing “adultery”? There is an extremely high inverse correlation between the driver of marital rape and adultery. If we want to stop marital rape we have examine our cultural norms regarding sex, marriage, adultery and polygamy. These need to be factored into the discussion.
In many societies where there is polygamy, there is no such thing as marital rape or adultery .
Women cannot have both their cake and eat it too. You either want to satisfy your husband’s sexual needs or permit him to have extra marital affairs or another wife or two.
The entire legal system I in the Bahamas must look at this issue from a cultural standpoint.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 3 days ago
Total garbage.
Empiricist 2 weeks, 2 days ago
You are missing the point by reason of denying the fact that marital rape is initiated by the behavior of women.
joeblow 2 weeks, 3 days ago
... whenever a claim of "marital rape" is made one can guarantee the marriage was already over. Rape should have the gender bias removed and referred to as "... any nonconsensual sexual intercourse committed by any person whether within or without a marital relationship." That should catch some of those cougars out there with young boys who are not old enough to consent! As long as this is a gender issue it will be problematic and used primarily as a tool of feminists or vengeful women!
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 3 days ago
These are sexist remarks.
carltonr61 2 weeks, 2 days ago
They just want to give more power to women. They are sick in their brains and want attention and promotion. Strange that so many non married women getting into marritial bed blessed by God. Maynard needs prayers for blasphemy in calling fir the word of God to be cursed.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 2 days ago
Men who force themselves on their wives should not be the least bit surprised if they find their wife stealthily 'takes a liking' to one or more non-violent men. Women instinctively have a great dislike for the violence usually associated with overly aggressive bullying men.
Empiricist 2 weeks, 2 days ago
In Islam, these behaviors are appropriately dealt with. You can call that nonsense.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 2 days ago
And there are a few remaining primitive tribes in the heart of the African and South American continents that still believe in the castration of men who stray from their selected lifetime mate. Applying this practice in the Bahamas would result in many men with rat-sized balls deservedly walking around without their little peckers.
carltonr61 2 weeks, 2 days ago
85% of our women are single moms with multiple daddies. The subtle prostitution our non married females do needs to be spoken to. But politicians are afraid to address the real issues at hand. The church is even afraid to address the shameful lifestyle of % of our females. So religion and politicians pick on married families. They might as well legalize subtle prostitution as it the dominant form of bedside life. Then when a man decides to raise a family all is fine until the kids could hold their own and the house is paid for then suddenly the husband is a rapist after sexual abandonment and other cruelty. Then the wife provokes the husband in order for him to hit the streets the wives left with the house the husband paid mortgage for. Whuch issue is most destructive for society the single mom with multiple daddies or the 2% of husbands who remain faithful to the marital bed? The Bahamas is not a place.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks, 1 day ago
That fact that so many young Bahamian women must now be de facto prostitutes in order to survive speaks to the poor governance and corruption that have devoured our small nation. Too many women today are made to endure shame, hopelessness and despair that no woman, especially a mother, should ever have to experience. Meanwhile our uncaring and corrupt politicians along with their greedy wealthy friends continue with their destructive non-stop campaign of raping, pillaging and plundering of our small nation for their own exclusive benefit.
carltonr61 2 weeks, 2 days ago
There should be fines and jail for women having more than two baby daddies. Women who have more than three children for one daddy should be honored as society builders.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks ago
The men hopping from bed to bed taking advantage of and impregnating economically destitute and desperate women should be "de-balled" or, better still, "de-peckered" by surgical means without the benefit of any pain medication during the procedure.
bogart 2 weeks, 1 day ago
If it is time to criminal marital rape, it should also be a time to open up legal Brothels to facilitate the husbands and others. Country seems to be plagued with all sorts of horrible rapes, high level of sexually transferred diseases like HIV, Enormous Court facilities and the locking up process with ankle bracelets etc. Country also have to deal with continuing who is to blame and families forever feuding. Enormous hospital and related facilities tied up etcetcetc.
On having a legalized Brothel there will the Govt. taxes to be made, qualified health certified employees, less criminal raping costing enormous sums of money to health care on diseases, courts, police etcetc.. If you are going to stop the continuous raping , there ought to be legal alternatives to direct these men with legal Brothels, protections to many and Govt. to earn taxes probably to put a dent in the national dept.
carltonr61 2 weeks ago
The only other alternative is to castrate husbands while wives are left with sexual function.
ExposedU2C 2 weeks ago
See my comment to your earlier posting above.
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