CiWIL: Move GBV Bill Forward

Following another incident of violence against women, a women-led civil organization is calling on the government to take real action on gender-based violence, instead of relying on a knee-jerk reaction.

Newly re-elected Chair of The Bahamas branch of Caribbean Women In Leadership, Charlene Paul, says gender-based violence is an issue that government has the power to take action on.

Pieces of the constitution, Sexual Offences Act, Child Protection Act, the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act and other statues speak to gender-based violence or GBV.

However, an analysis conducted in 2015 by the task force for GBV  found that the “fragmented nature of GBV-related legislation… leads to inefficiencies, overlapping mandates and disaggregation of authority.”