International Women’s Day 2023

On Saturday March 4, 2023, we held our International Women’s Day March and Expo. Immediately following the march, we got this photo. After the photo, Ms. Deidree took over with Zumba and the Expo opened for participants to learn more about organizations and join interactive sessions. At Equality Bahamas, we are committed to advocacy, public education, and community. We are intentional about all of our work starting with and being moved by community members.

Thank you for showing up, getting loud, and creating a beautiful space with us!

Thank you to The Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts for generously providing the space for us to gather and share.

One of the highlights of the International Women’s Day March and Expo is always yoga, so we make sure there are multiple sessions. Bianca Wagner and Antonio Weech led yoga classes.

In addition to Zumba and yoga, Christina Johnson led a session on Stress & Anxiety Management, we talked Climate with Kelli Armstrong, Gabrielle Miller led us in contemporary dance, there was a Self-Care Poetry Workshop with Maelynn Ford, and Martha Hanna Smith taught us about Bush Medicine.

DJ Ampero also created an amazing mix with on bodily autonomy and climate justice in celebration of IWD. Listen to it below.

Screenprinting for IWD 2023

It’s signmaking day!

Drop by Poinciana Paper Press (at 12 Parkgate Road) any time between 2pm and 8pm today (March 1). We’ll be there with markers, paint, poster paper, glue, glitter, and, of course, everything we need for screenprinting! Get ready to come up with designs, cut stencils, roll ink, and be in good company. Bring a tshirt and/or towel and try your hand at printing your own design promoting women’s rights as human rights! This event is free and open to the public.

As always, this is a pro-woman and pro-LGBTQI+ space and no misogyny, hostility against LGBTQI+ people, racism, ableism, xenophobia, or any form of violence will be tolerated.

Feminist Book Club: February 2023

Our Feminist Book Club with Poinciana Paper Press continues with “What My Bones Know” by Stephanie Foo, and we look forward to discussing it with you on February 23 at 6pm EST.

Join us for a discussion Thursday, February 23 at Poinciana Paper Press

To register or join virtually: visit: tiny.cc/fbc2023  

Trigger and content warning: The first part of the book describes, in detail, her experiences with child abuse including physical violence, suicidal ideation, abandonment, and emotional abuse.

Feminist Book Club: January 2023

In January, we’re reading A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. From 1988, A Small Place is a book-length essay drawing on Kincaid’s experiences growing up in Antigua.

Join us for a discussion Thursday, January 26 at Poinciana Paper Press.

To register or join virtually: visit: tiny.cc/fbc2023

CEDAW Speaker Series: Article 10 with Hilary Gbedemah

In the lead-up to the 30th anniversary of The Bahamas’ ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Equality Bahamas hosted the CEDAW (Convention) Speaker Series. This is the ninth session, looking at Article 10 on Education, and we were joined by Hilary Gbedemah, member of the CEDAW Committee.

The CEDAW (Convention) Speaker Series is designed to familiarize members of the public with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), known as the women’s bill of rights. On the third week of each month, we will be joined by an expert to look at one Article of the Convention, its interpretation, its application to the Bahamian context, and the most recent assessment of the country’s progress.

Watch the replay of the session below, which took place on January 21, 2023.

For more sessions in the CEDAW convention speaker series, check out the YouTube playlist below.

Women’s Wednesdays: Femicide in Latin America and the Caribbean

Events

For the first Women’s Wednesdays event of 2023, Equality Bahamas founder and co-director Alicia Wallace speaks to Mexico-based journalist Chantal Flores and Nadeen Spence. The conversation is centered around femicide and what it looks like in Latin America and Jamaica, what reporting about femicide looks like and what it should look like. The women also share what we can do to ensure we have better reporting on femicide and how we as community members can get involved to end gender-based violence.

Watch the replay of the full conversation from January 19, 2023.


Why Femicide: Unpacking the Theme

As a part of the Global 16 Days Campaign 2022 with the theme #LetsEndFemicide, members of the Equality Bahamas team (Lauren Glinton, Allicia Rolle, and Alicia Wallace) talked about the the importance of the theme and its relevance to The Bahamas.

Watch the replay below.

Aftershock: Effects of Femicide on Families

As a part of the Global 16 Days Campaign 2022 with the theme #LetsEndFemicide, Equality Bahamas had a conversation with Jessica Russell (therapist, Grand Bahama) and Khandi Gibson (Founder and Co-Director of Families of All Murder Victims) about the way femicide impacts the families of victims.

Watch the full replay of the event that took place November 28, 2022 below.

 

16 Days Event: Femicide Observatory 2022

Events

This year, the theme for the Global #16Days Campaign is #LetsEndFemicide. Over the next few weeks, and into 2023, we will talk about gender-based violence against women, the killing of women based on their sex or gender, the effects of femicide on loved ones, building a femicide observatory, and using art and therapy in our activism and healing.

Start the week with some care for your body. Join us for a free yoga session with Antonio Weech on Sunday, November 27 at 8am.

Join us on Monday, November 28 at 6pm for a conversation with Jessica, The Therapist and Khandi Gibson (Families of All Murder Victims) about #femicide, its impact on communities, and what institutions and individuals can do to offer support.

The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA) conducts and promotes research to prevent #femicide and other forms of gender-based killings in Canada. We will be joined by CFOJA Director Myrna Dawson to talk about the structure, function, and impact of a femicide observatory and what building one in The Bahamas would require.

Join the conversation on Thursday, December 1 at 6pm EST.

On Thursday, December 8, join us for a poetry workshop titled Writing Through it Together. Poet Marion Bethel, small press publisher Sonia Farmer, and spoken word artist Brittany Delaney will be with us for two hours, guiding us through the process. Join us in person at Poinciana Paper Press (where we will have treats!) or online by registering to get the link. We’ll start at 6pm EST.

Join us on Saturday, December 10 at 3pm EST at Poinciana Paper Press (12 Parkgate Road) for our final event during the Global #16Days Campaign. Visual artist and small press publisher Sonia Farmer will guide us in writing a poem together and self-publishing it with copies to take home. If you haven’t visited the Press yet, this is a great opportunity to check it out!

CEDAW Speaker Series: Article 9 with Aruna Narain

Aruna Narain, member of the CEDAW Committee, led a conversation on CEDAW Article 9 on November 26, 2022.

The CEDAW (Convention) Speaker Series is designed to familiarize members of the public with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), known as the women’s bill of rights.

Each month, we will be joined by an expert to look at one Article of the Convention, its interpretation, its application to the Bahamian context, and the most recent assessment of the country’s progress.

Watch the replay of the session below, which took place on November 26, 2022.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/cedaw.pdf

 

Check out the CEDAW speaker series playlist below for more discussions on the articles.