WOMEN’S groups said critical information is missing from the Protection Against Violence Act, a notion they expressed during a meeting with Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe last week.

A press release purportedly supported by Marion Bethel Sears, Women United Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL), Therese Turner Jones, BUYDC, Women of Strength Association, Everyone Counts Organisation, Rights Bahamas and Roots of Change said the groups support a comprehensive bill that addresses gender-based violence.

“A productive meeting took place last week between our representatives and the Minister of Social Services, where concerns regarding the current state of the bill were discussed,” the press statement said. “We emphasised the importance of critical information that was missing that would render the bill accessible and supportive for all members of society. It is clear from the meeting that the government is committed to passing the Protection Against Violence bill instead of the Gender-Based Violence bill. We are therefore constrained to working within the parameters of the new Protection Against Violence bill and must focus our efforts towards securing amendments that will bring it in line with some of the fundamental elements of the Gender-Based Violence bill.”

The Protection Against Violence bill has passed the House of Assembly and the Senate.

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Minister of Social Services,” said Prodesta Moore, President of Women United and a representative from the women’s groups. “Our intention is to ensure that the legislation is not only useful but also embodies the spirit of the Gender-Based Violence bill which we had been working on for over 10 years now.”

The minister has scheduled a meeting at 9.30am on August 14 in an effort to refine the existing bill in line with our proposed amendments. We will submit our concerns in writing before the meeting. We remain optimistic about the prospect of meaningful changes and are hopeful that the minister’s commitment to amend the bill will result in a more comprehensive and effective piece of legislation. We also note and appreciate that despite the numerous representations during the debate in the House of Assembly to the contrary the attorney general admitted that the new bill ‘is a shift from the 2016 bill’. We seek to clarify with him and the minister why we feel changes need to be made to the Protection Against Violence bill.

“However, we must be clear that the introduction of the Protect Against Violence Bill, was not made readily available for review by many women’s groups nor were they consulted as multiple government representatives have expressed. Since we raised our voices we have learned that there was very limited consultation and inadequate distribution of the bill, with inaccurate versions circulating when requested.

“Furthermore, the educational efforts surrounding the new bill were limited in scope, focusing solely on Nassau and excluding other islands, we feel inaccurately noted by the Prime Minister in response to our request to delay the debate.

“We want to stress the importance of a non-political and transparent approach in the creation of legislation designed to protect the rights and safety of women and children.

Charlene Paul from CIWIL, Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL), said: “We firmly believe that the wellbeing of women, who constitute over 50% of our society, should transcend political boundaries. Transparency, inclusivity, and a duty of care must be at the core of the presentation of any legislation aimed at safeguarding our women.”