Freedom, justice, equality

Joining the voices of nongovernmental organizations, feminist movements, and activists all over the world, Equality Bahamas calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestine by Israel.

The genocide in Gaza is not an isolated event which can be ignored by Black people, Bahamian people, Caribbean people, or people of any other identities that have been colonized and systemically oppressed. Equality Bahamas condems the ongoing occupation, colonization, and genocide taking place in Palestine. 

Palestine was colonized by the British in 1920 and, in 1948, the land was “given” to the Jewish people—stolen from Indigenous Palestinians—for the creation of Israel. More than 85% of historic Palestine is now occupied and under Israeli military control.

Palestine, which continues to shrink by the day, has had over 700 checkpoints enforced for Palestinians, Jewish-only road systems, and ongoing restrictions of water and electricity. In addition, Palestinians are geographically categorized into 5 groups—West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, “Israeli” territories, and those in exile, with each group having varying levels of access to human rights.

In the most recent escalation of violence since October 7, 2023, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, and 46,000 have been injured by Israeli forces. There are now more than 6 million Palestinian refugees worldwide, many of whom are not allowed to return to Palestine.  

The military attacks on civilian populations have disproportionately affected women and children who make up 70% of those killed.  Hospitals are being targeted by the Israeli military, where women are undergoing childbirth without access to clean water, Cesarean sections are being performed without anesthesia and neonatal units are without electricity. Reproductive and sexual health services and menstrual products are no longer available in Gaza. 

Equality Bahamas calls its supporters to recognise what is happening now in Gaza and the ongoing colonization in all of Palestine.

We know displacement. We know separation from our people and our land. We know the loss of histories, culture, institutions, and social structures. We know separation from our resources as they are plundered. We know the indifference of people and institutions in positions of power. We, however, know just as well, the power of solidarity that crosses borders and languages. We know the necessity of banding together, recognizing that our struggles are connected, as is our liberation. 

We have seen the denial of healthcare to women. We have seen cruelty against children. We have seen the targeting of activists and journalists. We have seen arbitrary detention and denial of justice. We have seen places of safety, known for medical care, education, and prayer, targeted, targeted and destroyed to communicate to us that we are not protected by any imagined mutual respect for what they symbolize or provide. We have been trapped. We have run with no way out. We have reasoned, cried, and screamed, hid, fought, and dared, protected, mourned, and rallied. We know loss. We know death. We know exhaustion. We, however, know just as well, the power of resistance that rises up from the ground beneath our feet, beats within our hearts, and courses through our veins. We know the necessity of resistance—refusing to back down, disobeying, and claiming our inherent power.

There is no justification for the denial of human rights and systematic killing of Palestinian people. 

We mourn the loss of all Palestinian lives. We call for an immediate ceasefire. We acknowledge the work of the activists and journalists on the ground, sharing information and calling for global action. We recognize the resilience of the Palestinian people over the past decade, and we acknowledge the injustice embedded in the concept of resilience. 

We call for the mobilization of all people who know and share in the struggle against colonialism, racism, capitalism, and the dehumanization of people, and for collective freedom. We call on people with privilege and power to break their silence, inhabit the discomfort of disturbing and opposing their peers, and make financial contributions to sustain life and end the genocide in Palestine. 

Today, we call on the Government of The Bahamas to clearly, unequivocally state its call for a ceasefire. We call on the general public to learn about what is happening in Palestine, sign the call for a ceasefire, participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, and share the posts make by Palestinian people and pro-Palestine organizations on the daily reality of Palestinians and the actions required of others.

This press released was published in The Tribune and Eyewitness News.

It was reported that a woman accused a Member of Parliament of rape, physical assault, and threats of death against her and her family members. She reported to the police who, and the MP has not be questioned, much less charged. Equality Bahamas released this statement on Monday April 17, 2023.

Gender-based violence against women and girls is a public health crisis in The Bahamas. A Member of Parliament has been accused of physical and sexual violence as well as threats of death, and the reported story from the survivor includes action and inaction by police to impede her access to justice. The survivor shared numerous effects of the violence she experienced on her physical and mental health. 

Survivors must be able to confidently and confidentially report gender-based violence, be assured of access to justice, and receive immediate resources and support services including safe housing and mental healthcare. The Government of The Bahamas must implement the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence which has been shelved for several years since being tabled in the House of Assembly in February 2016. 

Equality Bahamas stands in support of the survivor who shared her story, and all survivors who have and have not shared their own. “Ms. Rolle’s is one of many survivor stories that point to corruption, abuse of power, and deliberate protection of violent criminals,” said Director of Equality Bahamas Alicia Wallace. “In addition to demanding legal reform to promote and uphold women’s human rights, we demand access to our inherent right to equal protection of the law. While no one is above the law, we see, every day, that money and titles make it possible for people to circumvent the law when weak people controlling flawed systems approve it.”

The increased frequency of news reports of sexual violence and insufficient responses are indicative of persisting and unchallenged gender ideology that perpetuate violence against women and girls.The Bahamas has an obligation to end gender-based violence against women and girls. In its Concluding Observations in 2018, the CEDAW Committee recommended that the government ensure that the police and courts expeditiously address complaints from women and girls about gender-based violence, and “develop an action plan to eliminate discriminatory gender stereotypes, which incite violence against women and girls, and establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of such measures.” It called for adoption of the gender-based violence bill, criminalization of marital rape, and ensuring cases of gender-based violence are investigated and prosecuted. 

“The Government of The Bahamas voluntarily ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1993. Thirty years later, its failure to come into compliance with the Convention continues. The ratification of CEDAW is a commitment to the people of The Bahamas, to women and girls in particular, made through the United Nations treaty body, and it is accountable to us,” said Ms. Wallace. 

Equality Bahamas calls upon the Prime Minister of The Bahamas to immediately dismiss the accused Member of Parliament, rebuke gender-based violence and its perpetrators, and allocate the necessary resources for the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence as a measure to prevent and intervene in cases of gender-based violence and support the growing number of survivors.