By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

SENATE President LaShell Adderley says the time is now to enforce, amend and enact legislation to curb the scourge of gender-based violence in the country. “Enough is enough,” she said yesterday.

While noting there had been numerous incidents that have “rocked the national psyche”, she said the issue must be met with robust, “pragmatic and common sense holistic legislation” that protects Bahamians.

 “The continuous courage and fortitude demonstrated by vulnerable women who stand and say a resounding ‘no’ to the traumatic stress and pain of domestic violence must be supported by the enforcement of legislation policies and procedures to eradicate gender based violence,” Ms Adderley told the Senate in welcoming remarks to the Zonta Club, which is ending its 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence.

 “The President of the Senate and the Senate body as a whole denounces and stands in complete and total solidarity against any form of violence and in particular domestic violence against elderly women, children and marital rape.

 “When passing or creating legislation, the Senate body must ensure that the gender-based violence scourge facing our nation is addressed with robust pragmatic and common sense holistic legislation, which is buttressed by policy initiatives that protect Bahamians.

 “The empowerment of women cannot be exclusive to or solely focused on socio-economic celebratory accomplishment but must equally include the provision of practical and efficient safety nets for the vulnerable.

 “The status quo must be challenged and changed for the better.

 “I submit that we must move swiftly. The many victims who now lay in their cold graves did not have the luxury of time and neither do the emotionally, physiologically and mentally devastated survivors and their families. The best time to act to enact, amend and enforce legislation is now for enough is enough.”

 She noted that instances of domestic violence had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and praised the Zonta Club for its activism work.

 “With the objective of ending domestic violence generally and in particular against women and children, the Senate body congratulates the Zonta Club for exercising its best efforts to orange The Bahamas and to also orange the Senate.

 “In so doing, their focused initiative has brought awareness and sensitivity to the basic human rights issue facing our nation.

 “The Zonta Club has positioned itself as a powerful voice within the public domain calling for an end to domestic violence.

“In this regard the Senate body extends to president Mason Smith and members of the Zonta Club heartfelt appreciation for your unselfish advocacy and patriotic determination.”