The Tribune

FORMER Free National Movement Deputy Leader Loretta Butler Turner lamented the fact that women are “underrepresented” in the House of Assembly and Cabinet, as she urged political parties to help create an environment of inclusion that will prompt more women to run for public office.

Mrs Butler Turner, shadow minister of labour and social development, made the comments at a private experts’ meeting and a public forum on February 25 in Washington, DC sponsored by the Organisation of American States (OAS). The meeting was held to discuss the “Role of Political Parties in addressing Political Violence against Women” as a “Follow-up Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI)”.

Convened at the OAS’ headquarters, the one-day meeting was held in the context of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of violence against women known as the Belém do Pará Convention, of which the Bahamas is a signatory, having ratified the Convention in 1995.

In her remarks Mrs Butler Turner noted the progress and challenges in the country for women in public life.

“The Bahamas has made considerable progress in terms of the involvement of women in the political process, progress of which I am immensely proud as a citizen and as a woman,” she said.

“By example, in the Bahamas there is considerable involvement by women in the civil service, on government boards and in other areas of public life.

“But as a citizen and a woman, my task is to ask what else needs to be done to ensure greater equality for women in political parties generally and in the political process at every level of government.

“There is still a long way to go in terms of the number of women in the elected lower chamber of our Parliament and the number of women as Cabinet members. These two areas are where ultimate political power resides, and where women are vastly underrepresented.”

She addressed other challenges where women are “intimidated and sidelined.”

“When one is the only, or among the few women in the room when important discussions are taking place, there is often the pressure to conform or to remain silent,” she said.

She said there is a need to have “more women at the seat of political power at every level, especially in national legislatures.”

She further stated that more vigorous recruitment efforts and training programmes are needed to get women, who are often reluctant to enter politics, into public office.

“In addition to political parties fostering gender equality within its own ranks, they must help to foster a climate of inclusion and tolerance at the local and national levels.

“More women will run for office if there is a greater sense of equality within the national culture and women feel less intimidated and marginalised. In this regard political parties must be more robust in challenging the offensive and abusive language directed toward women in public discourse.

“Remaining silent sends a message. A non-response is so often a thunderous response. Moreover, it cannot mostly be women in public life addressing violence against women and gender equality.”

She added that the country needs the voices of men to promote the culture of respect for women in political parties.

“Political parties must also be at the forefront of refashioning and constructing the architecture of equality, i.e. promoting laws, programmes, systems, and opportunities for women to be more involved in decision-making at the highest level and to better address political violence against women,” the Long Island MP said.