The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AN advocate of women’s rights said the Davis administration is taking too long to pass the Gender Violence Bill.

Prodesta Moore, president and founder of Women United, said she was surprised by Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe’s suggestion that consultation with the Church is needed before the bill is brought to the House of Assembly.

On Monday, Mr Wilchcombe told The Tribune the government would not rush the bill to Parliament.

His comment came several days after former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson urged the government to pass the bill, which she said was first drafted ten years ago.

“This bill is so important, and with all the recent acts of violence that’s happening among our young women and women in general, for him to make that statement was disingenuous to all of us as women because of the work we’ve put into this, the effort we’ve put into making sure this bill is a priority,” Ms Moore said yesterday.

“I totally agree that it’s taking too long and is being delayed for whatever reason, and to say that it’s being delayed because of consultation (with the Church) is not correct because this bill has been presented. I honestly don’t know why he’s making those comments when he knows that women organisations, Women’s United and other women-led NGOs, have been pushing for this bill to be tabled.”

After the boyfriend of Heavenly Terveus killed her last year, days after she reported him to police for damaging her car, State Minister for Social Services Lisa Rahming said the bill would be tabled in Parliament “in a few weeks or a few months”. That did not happen.

Ms Moore said she’s frequently discussed the bill with the Minister of Social Services and has been assured it would be tabled shortly.

“Every time I have an opportunity to see Minister Wilchcombe, I would always ask him when is the bill going to be presented. They keep promising that the bill is going to be presented shortly. I don’t understand why now a comment is going to be made as to say the reason it’s being delayed is consultation.

“I don’t know if he made a mistake … and was trying to reference the marital rape bill and not the gender violence bill. Those are two separate bills that we’re talking about. The amendments to the Sexual Offences Act is going to address the marital rape, but the Gender-Based Violence Bill is going to address all these issues that we have right now that’s happening and rape is on the rise, sexual offences are on the rise.”