By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Patricia Deveaux says she has not yet decided whether she will seek re-election, saying she is still praying about the decision and weighing her options.

Her uncertainty, she claimed, is due to a broader desire to see more women step forward and take the lead in national decision-making.

“I’d like to see more women coming forward, more women offering themselves, and more women being a part of the decision making process,” she said.

She said she would ideally like to see at least 15 women contest the next general election, representing all major political parties.

Although The Bahamas currently has women in several high-profile leadership positions — including governor general, president of the Senate, and commissioner of police — Ms Deveaux said many still shy away from politics due to the relentless scrutiny that comes with public life.

She said her own experience in frontline politics has often been shaped by criticism of her gender and style.

“I’m often attacked because of my style and stance. But if we’re talking about equal rights, then let’s be equal across the board,” she said. “We are in a man’s world, and men do not like women to say take the seat.”