Violence against women
One of the hot topics in the Bahamas has been the discussion over the “marital rape law”.
What we find most amazing about this is that there is any discussion at all. The proposed amendment to Bahamian law — late coming as it is — will formalise by law the protection of women against violence.
We recently stood dumbfounded as we listened to a man scoff at the proposed changes. His argument was that men have to deal with long, difficult days and that when they come home they just need to “deal” with their “needs”. If “their woman” doesn’t cooperate then that’s not right; she should know her duty and meet it.
This not-so-subtle comment is sadly the way of thinking of many men in the Bahamas. To believe that there is a unmitigated and unchecked right to have your way with any woman — acquaintance, girlfriend, wife, daughter — is staggering and speaks to a deep-seated issue that may permeate areas of our society that should concern every citizen — regardless of gender — in the Bahamas.
If someone can say that rape of a stranger is wrong but forced sexual relations with someone known to them is acceptable, there is a major disconnect between the morality of the act and the act itself.
How is it that any person with belief in God as Creator and Jesus as Saviour could possibly find justification that women should be under violent submission to men? To use the Bible to rationalise such a belief is a distortion of God’s character and an abomination against His grace. In Christ there is no distinction between male or female (Galatians 3:26-28) and this fact is borne out in Jesus’ own ministry as He broke down societal and cultural boundaries between men and women. And when He did this it was the religious leaders of the day that were His greatest opponents!
Every respectable citizen, resident and visitor should be supportive of these changes to our laws. We suspect that the resistance to the change is based on a lack of understanding of the specific changes proposed, an allegiance to historically-entrenched yet morally bankrupt beliefs, and a distorted perspective of the rights and equality between the genders.
If you genuinely want to understand the proposed changes, ask sincere questions about the impact on our society if the changes do and do not go through, or to just get a better grasp on the issues at large, seek out the opportunities to engage the open meetings that are being held.
To read the actual proposed changes, click this link.
~ejr~