‘Time long overdue to act on gender violence’

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.”

Comments

joeblow says...

... these people all sound like clones spewing their progressive nonsense using the same buzzwords!
There are already laws on the books to deal with any criminal matter that is of concern to them. We don't need any new laws to deal with those matters!

Posted 14 December 2021, 1:50 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Correct! Violence is violence and Domestic violence is no longer just against women and children. There are many incidents where the woman is the dominant character in a relationship, or at least the major bread winner, and sometimes she is the violent and abusive one in a relationship. Not only against her spouse, but sometimes against the children. And there are situations where the woman is a single parent and she is abusive or negligent towards the children. The first effort should be to stop ALL acts of abuse, in some countries, once the police are called to the scene of domestic violence, the policy is one of the two feuding parties must leave the property. The aggressor must leave and find alternative living accommodations for that night:24 hour period. If the situation had turned physical, then the party that ‘threw the first blow’ is taken into custody by police. Not necessarily to be charged, but to avoid the situation from escalating. They would be kept at the police station, not necessarily in a cell until they cool off. They would be given advice:counseling before being released and also be warned that if the police had to return then charges will be filed.

Posted 15 December 2021, 5:22 a.m. Suggest removal

Flowing says...

I hope same-sex couples are added to the Domestic Violence Act. I also hope a Hate Crime Bill can be passed.

Posted 18 December 2021, 4:22 a.m. Suggest removal

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