The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL Services and Urban Development Minister Obie Wilchcombe yesterday said he plans to discuss the issue of marital rape among other things next March at a three-day women’s conference.

“We’re going to have in March of next year a three-day women’s conference to deal with national women’s issues and that will coincide with International Women’s Day.

“It’s all intended to speak to the scope of issues that women are dealing with,” Mr Wilchcombe said yesterday.

“Marital rape will be on the agenda, but we want to talk about also other matters of legislative importance to women.

“We want to talk about wages, we want to talk about domestic violence generally, we want to talk about women’s lack of access to capital,” he said.

“Once we get a hold on the issues, then we’ll be able to deal with the issues. But at the present time we hear a number of things, but I want to bring everybody together. I want to have a full discussion on these subjects over a three-day period and come up with a paradigm, a plan of action that we can carry forth,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

In September, the Ministry of Social Services and Department of Gender and Family Affairs’ hosted a one-day symposium at Superclubs Breezes on sexual offences legislation.

A draft amendment to the Sexual Offences Act that seeks to criminalise marital rape and redefine what consent is and discussed at the forum and there was some pushback from a few religious leaders to the proposed changes.

Mr Wilchcombe previously said the government hoped that consultations on the drafted Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022 would be completed before early next year.

Asked how long the consultative period will last, the minister said the government is hoping to complete it ahead of the attorney general’s meeting with the United Nations representatives in early 2023.

“We’re trying to move as quickly as we possibly can because we do have some commitments. The attorney general has to speak at the United Nations next year February or March and we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re continuing having to answer questions about our human rights while we’re critical of (other) countries and their human rights, so let us be leaders,” he said in September.

Yesterday Mr Wilchcombe attended the Memory March celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

The march, which started shortly after 2pm at the Southern Recreational Grounds on Blue Hill Road and ended at Rawson Square on Bay Street, included many government and non-government agencies.

Mr Wilchcombe said yesterday that the march is a celebration of the hard work that women of The Bahamas have done and continue to do.

“It is a reflection on the work done by those who came before, the blood sweat and tears, the efforts, the diligence, the determination to allow women to achieve as they have,” he said.

“Women in our country have responded to the work of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, have done incredibly well in all spheres and continue to move in a progressive way,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

“What we intend to do today is celebrate the day, celebrate the founders, celebrate the suffrages and plan for tomorrow,” he said.

Among those marching yesterday were representatives from the Free National Movement, Women United advocacy group, Bahamas National Alliance Trade Union Congress (BNATUC), Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association, Princess Court Ministries, Bahamas Department of Correctional Services Band, the Urban Renewal Band, Customs Department and others as well as Mr Wilchcombe.