Gender-Based Violence Bill in The Bahamas
The gender-based violence bill, drafted in 2016, was being discussed in 2023 until it was taken off the table and the “Protection Against Violence” bill, severely flawed and clearly critiqued, was passed. The Act fails to recognize, much less address, gender-based violence as a specific form of violence that disproportionately affected women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people. It is not, in any way, a substitute for a gender-based violence bill which would define gender-based violence, identify root causes, record and analyze cases, ensure support for survivors, and include rehabilitation programming for perpetrators. Refusal to update and pass the gender-based violence bill is acceptance of the high rate of gender-based violence against women and the resulting femicide.