Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Women’s Alliance president, Prodesta Moore was shocked by the statements made by Loretta Butler on the Party’s position on marital rape. After admitting that she has not reviewed the DNA’s policy, Mrs. Butler continued to criticize the DNA’s commitment to protecting the rights of women in The Bahamas and accuses Mr. McCartney of back peddling after not supporting her original “marital rape legislation.”

Mr. McCartney has not “back peddled,” in fact, he made it explicitly clear that he did not support Ms. Butler’s legislation when he was in the Free National Movement (FNM), nor does he support it now. Ms. Butler’s legislation to amend Section 3 of the Sexual Assault Act was intended to change the institution of marriage, and threatened to change the foundation of social structure. It took very little measures to protect married women.

Mrs. Moore believes the DNA has taken significant measures to ensure the protection and equality of women. “The DNA has shown an unrelenting commitment to the protection of women, unfortunately Mrs. Butler and the FNM have failed miserably in that regard. I hope it is not her standard practice as an MP to develop an opinion about proposed legislation without reading it first.”

Unlike the FNM, the DNA has consulted experts to develop a comprehensive policy to protect the rights of women that includes:

• Abolishing Section 111-4 of the Penal Code that permits “chastising a spouse under justifiable conditions.”
• Extending citizenship rights to children born of Bahamian women, the same as would be granted to Bahamian men.
• Amending Section 15 of the Sexual Assault Act to include punishable offenses against sexual intercourse with a spouse if: 

• The spouse lives separately, even in the same facility.

• A protection order has been issued against one, or both, spouse.
• Force or violence is used during intercourse.

Mrs. Moore would like to see Loretta Butler review the policy before criticizing and further challenges her to present the FNM’s policy to protect women’s rights. If Mrs. Butler and her leader, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham are so adamant about this legislature, why has it not been presented to Parliament in the past five years or during any FNM term, Mrs. Moore questioned.

“As a mother of a daughter and a candidate for the DNA, I have been thoroughly impressed with the commitment our party has made to ensure equality in The Bahamas. Mrs. Butler appears to be more interested in scoring a political point than actually fighting for the rights of women. If she ever decides to resume her fight for women it would behoove her to start within her own party, where it is quite obvious they are not interested in making real progress,” Mrs. Moore added.