The Tribune

THE long delay in bringing in laws to provide equal rights in passing on citizenship seems little closer to a resolution.

And that delay appears to be bringing some measure of frustration for those who wish to see them passed.

In a tale of two Attorney Generals, one present, one past, we now see the former holder of that role, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, saying that passing such legislation is a “no-brainer”, while the incumbent, Ryan Pinder, waits on a ruling from the Privy Council.

The ruling he is waiting for is whether children born out of wedlock to Bahamian fathers and foreign mothers have an automatic right to citizenship – but that does not include all parts of the equation when it comes to equality.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson said on Friday: “I urge us to think about what the suffragists did, us as women, us as Bahamians who believe that all Bahamians, women and men are entitled to be treated equally and I say that there’s already a bill drafted that gives women the right to pass their citizenship on to their children and single Bahamian men also to pass their citizenship on to their children under certain circumstances.”

She added: “Now that’s not to say it’s the same as eliminating discrimination from our constitution but I want to point out that today, while people are wringing their hands and worrying about what will happen, there are women who are suffering, there are children who are suffering and there are men who are suffering and it is the job of our legislators to eliminate, not cause suffering. Pass the bill.”

Driving around New Providence at present, one cannot help but notice the number of billboards prominently featuring women who have made their mark on our society, being celebrated as part of the countdown to the 50th anniversary of Independence.

Contrast that with the lack of progress in passing legislation that brings equality – and the difference between the words we speak and the actions we take as a society seem particularly pointed.

Equally lacking in progress is the legislation outlawing marital rape. There had been talk of such legislation being brought forward at around the time of last month’s International Women’s Day, but nothing happened and Minister of Social Security Obie Wilchcombe has gone very quiet on the subject since.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson also spoke out on that issue of marital rape, calling the legislation “so fundamental” and saying “we need to have specific legislation that deals with it, how we will prosecute it, how we will punish it and so forth”.

Asked about whether religious leaders have too much say, she said that she did note how “unfortunately, ministers of religion derailed the referendum process and so these things can happen”. Wherever any blame may lie, the legislation has not been put forward yet – and there is no sign of when it might come to a vote in Parliament.

With both of these issues, women face inequalities – in the first instance in passing on their citizenship, a situation which can also affect men in certain circumstances. In the second, the inequality is between those who are married and those who are unmarried. A married woman raped by her husband is not treated equally under the law compared to the exact same attack committed by an unmarried woman by her partner. The same actions are not viewed equally under the law. That is the very definition of inequality.

So if we do mean to celebrate the women that made such an impact on her nation, then do so by passing the laws that bring equality to all our women.

If we do not mean to bring equality, then tear down the billboards. If we don’t keep striving to make a difference, then our words of praise are nothing but lip service.