Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WOMEN hold the majority of senior leadership positions in nearly every public sector but politics and law enforcement, according to statistics presented by Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell yesterday.
Mr Campbell addressed the United Nation’s committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the country’s state review.
The session marked the country’s sixth periodic state report, with its last appearance in July 2012.
The highest percentage of women were seen at the director-level in the public service, with 78 percent; and in health with 75 percent of hospital administrators being female.
Sixty-eight percent of judges, registrars, and magistrates are women, Mr Campbell said.
“In politics, five percent of Cabinet ministers, 12 percent of parliamentarians and 43 percent of senators are women,” he continued.
“In the public service, women represent 78 percent of our directors, women hold 57 percent representation in local government; 31 percent of our local Family Island administrators and nine percent of our chief councillors are women. Moreover, 65 percent of our permanent secretaries are women, and the secretary to the Cabinet is a woman.”
He added: “In education, 64 percent of the professors at the University of The Bahamas are female; and 65 percent of our school principals are women. In health, 45 percent of our physicians and 75 percent of our hospital administrators are women. In trade unions, 53 percent of the presidents of the National Congress of Trade Unions are women.
“In law enforcement agencies, 23 percent of police officers, including an assistant commissioner, 22 percent of defence force officers, four percent of prison officers and 50 percent of immigration officers are women.”
In the May 2017 general elections, 40 of the 194 nominated candidates were women.
During his remarks, Mr Campbell also characterised the task of governance as one of “enormity”, detailing the vast nature of the country’s archipelago of some seven hundred islands and cays.
Mr Campbell explained the challenge of “promoting and protecting the economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights of Bahamians and visitors” are exacerbated by economic and financial crisis; unemployment; crime; increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to climate change; the cost of accessing remote islands; undocumented migration, and border security.
However, he noted the country’s desire to overcome challenges, and pointed to its election to the Human Rights Council for the term 2019 to 2021 as a demonstrable effort.
Noting successive governments have eliminated many forms of discrimination against women in education, Mr Campbell revealed women captured 63 percent of the 480 scholarships awarded by the government for the 2017-2018 school year.
Grants and scholarships for the year 2015 at the University of The Bahamas were awarded to 754 men and 2,144 women, he said.
Noting the two failed constitutional referenda, Mr Campbell explained the government is drafting an amendment to the Bahamas Nationality Act in a bid to promote gender equality.
The government’s delegation to the UN included: Frank Davis, chargé d’affaires/deputy permanent representative, Permanent Mission of The Bahamas in Geneva; Dr Jacinta Higgs, director, and Melvelyn Symonette, first assistant secretary, of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs; Jewel Major, chief counsel, and Alicia Gibson, assistant counsel, of the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs; Sherry Armbrister, senior nursing officer, Ministry of Health; Sharmaine Sinclair, assistant director, Ministry of Education; Sasha Dixon, second secretary, Permanent Mission of The Bahamas in Geneva and Celsus Williams assistant secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kathryn Campbell, senior Information Officer, Bahamas Information Services; Ms Virginia Hall-Campbell and Dwina Higgs, project manager, were also present.
Comments
John 6 years ago
The liberalization of women in the Bahamas started back in the early 60’s. Many worked in the public sector but were limited in their capacity to advance beyond certain levels and in certain fields. At one point most of the bank tellers and school teachers were male. And those fields moved from male dominated, to female dominated to female careers, where males who enter are considered imposters and must now fight to retain his post. Then another movement started back in the 70’s where women not came out of the home by way of divorce or separation from their husbands , but many decided to set up single parent homes, So not only were they career women, but also heads of households. And they wanted to ensure the power of the female was carried on. And so many chose to send their daughters to college, either home or abroad and send their sons to work at the gas station or to do construction. And he had to help pay for his sister’s education, because according to the mother, ‘I don’t want no man taking advantage of my daughter and I don’t want her having difficult like me.’ So women became empowered almost overnight while the young males were thrown to the dogs (raiders, gun hawks, Nike dogs, Mason Murderers). And then there were those boys who were tied to their mummy’s apron string. They were pampered and given a good life, allowed to go off to school even. But they are no match for the newly empowered female. So now it is not unusual to see highly educated and qualified women living with the type of men her mother despised, having children for him even. And the educated young male chose to be alone or take his chance with the lesser educated, but street smart jungulist.
ohdrap4 6 years ago
maybe this happened because they cannot easily pass on citizenship to their children
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
Re John I find it hard to believe The Bahamas hasn't always been matriarcal. I believe Bahamians came from a martriarcal African tribe. It seems too ingrained in Bahamian culture that women are superior and good and men are lazy and bad to have happened as quickly as you say. One thing is for sure, we have the most spoiled women in the world by far!!!! Even the fatsos think they all dat in this country. Worst place for single men on the planet!!!!
licks2 6 years ago
Following john's reasoning is like eating mercury. . .chew forever and the same amount placed into the mouth is the same amount that comes back out. . . he lost when it comes to validity in information. . .content validity kills his dialogues. . .he may look good on face validity. . .content analysis rips him apart totally all the time it seem. . .too much miss matched information. . .sound like that Amos guy who all over the place on radio shows. . .all up in the bush in knowledge!! Obviously he reads. . .but mix up the people information in his "own lil world view". . .which is very myopic.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Bragging about how many women are in leadership positions is trite .......... We all know HOW many of them move up the chain and what happens to the men who offend them in the process.
But .............. that is a dirty truth no one will talk about in our Christian nation.
SP 6 years ago
We have women acting like men, well known very aggressive sexual predators of other women for promotions and other favors. "Real" men need not apply.
This explains why the country is ass-backward, nothing works properly, and logic does not apply in virtually every segment of society! They are either run by women trying to be men, or men trying to be women!
Our "Christian nation" is one of the biggest fallacies we must come to grips with before the country can begin to prosper. As long as we keep fooling ourselves that there is no problem, we will never begin to address the serious plagues keeping us from dealing with reality and moving the country forward.
Chucky 6 years ago
Let's be honest.
Women don't dominate so many roles because were progressive. But rather because they be more serious than our men.
It's a real testament to our people.
licks2 6 years ago
They are easier to control. . .they are type of malleable workers that our dumb politicians keep in these position so that they can "dominate" everything. . .with strong men they can't bring they dumb "elected self" and exploit the typical man. . .THEY CAN NOT ONLY EXPLOIT THE TYPICAL WOMAN. . .THEY CAN SWEET HEART THEM TOO!! This is a known fact that the typical woman will kowtow to power or give herself to it to get ahead. . .lousy leaders know this!! Down load and read The Peter Principal. . .or the 48 laws of power or Tsung Suo Art of War!!!
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
The funniest experience in government offices is when a hot woman with a good body walks in seeing all the female employees oggle her butt like she a fine wine. Women in this country need to stop. They are so extra. It's as if God put all the most extra women on one island. These are the most manliest women in the world.
BONEFISH 6 years ago
Bahamians just need to read these two books. They describe this situation in the Bahamas today. They are Men at Risk and Marginalization of the Black Male in the Caribbean.They were written by a Jamaican,Professor Errol Miiler. He has written about this matter over twenty years ago. But sociology is not a serious subject or studied much in the Bahamas.
MaryMack53 6 years ago
So many women move up the chain but are only able to move so far! They just try to pacify us with mediocre titles and pointless benefits. Our salaries will never match the work we have to put in to be taken seriously.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
What do you mean????? ......... the only place women DON'T dominate is the House of Assembly ........... and most of the men in there are Minnis' pussies ......... Especially Creole Frankie
BahamaPundit 6 years ago
So much Fake News to try to make women seem like they are mistreated. They are killing men in everything. If men had the majorities women now have in the Bahamas, they would be called oppressive. Yet the Nassau Guardian headline reads: Low female representation in politics highlighted at CEDAW. At least the Tribune was honest.
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