Question 1a Bgcse

The year 2012 marks the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of the culmination of the Women's Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas. In the Bahamas the movement took place against the dramatic backdrop of the Burma Road Riots of 1942, the General Strike of 1958, the Labour Movement of the 1950s, the majority rule and civil rights movements. Bahamian women worked tirelessly along with men to resist and redress the racial discrimination and the political and economic inequities that permeated Bahamian society. Women from all walks of life played a significant role in helping to advance the social, political and economic rights for Bahamians and, thereby, creating a deeper understanding of freedom and a more democratic society.

The Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas had its origins in the emerging Black middle-class of the "over-the-hill" area of Nassau. Mary Ingraham, the founder of the Movement, and Mabel Walker, her friend, were both wives of Members of the House of Assembly. These women along with other leaders in the Movement such as Georgiana Symonette, Eugenia Lockhart, Althea Mortimer, Albertha M. Isaacs, Doris Johnson, Grace Wilson, Mildred Moxey, Ethel Kemp, Gladys Bailey, Una Prosper Heastie, Veronica Lotmore, Nora Hannah and Madge Brown were aware of the enfranchisement of women in countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados and understood the power of the right to vote as a citizen. They also knew that women in the United States, England and Canada had the right to vote. Many of these Bahamian suffragists were not only committed members of lodges but were leaders in the lodges. It was through these women's organizations and their international counterparts that Bahamian women gained increasing confidence to lobby for the suffrage and the further advancement of women's rights and civil rights in general. The Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas received tremendous support from its allies in the United States, Canada and England. The growing enfranchisement of women around the world provided an enabling environment for the Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas.

The specific social climate in the Bahamas in regard to women which engendered the struggle for the enfranchisement of women was described by Sir Randol Fawkes in his book, The Faith That Moved the Mountain. He states: "More than half of the adult population of the Bahamas - the women - still remained voteless. In 1958, they lagged far behind their male counterparts in the field of human rights. The chief roadblocks to full citizenship for Bahamian women were: - i) the traditional attitudes of men and women towards their respective roles in society; ii) the lack of equal education and training, vocational guidance and counselling in the school; iii) the division of the labour market into traditionally male and female sectors; and iv) lack of child-care facilities for working mothers". Sir Randol detailed other disadvantages women faced including the inheritance law of primogeniture and the inadequate maintenance laws for child support.

There were essentially two branches to the Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas. They cross-fertilised each other and merged at pivotal times to speak with one voice. Several of the key women belonged to both arms of the movement. Mary Ingraham was elected as President of the Suffrage Movement in 1957. Georgiana Symonette was the Vice-president and Eugenia Lockhart was the Treasurer. Mary Ingraham, whose husband was Rufus N. Ingraham, Member of the House of Assembly for Crooked Island and Acklins, was affiliated with the United Bahamian Party. Eugenia Lockhart and Georgianna Symonette, both ardent supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party, organized women within and outside of the party to participate in the Suffrage Movement and the movement for majority rule.

In its particular pursuit of the right to vote for women and its general intention to advance the status of women in the Bahamas, the Suffrage Movement established strategic alliances with the other social movements of this time. It found a strident proponent of its cause in Randol Fawkes, leader of the Bahamas Federation of Labour. The Progressive Liberal Party in its pursuit of a majority rule government supported the right to vote for women and vigorously championed the cause shortly after the bye-election of 1960. The United Bahamian Party which was reluctant in the early stages to support the suffrage for women eventually capitulated in 1960.

In 1958, Dr. Doris Johnson returned home from studying abroad and joined the Suffrage Movement. She was a supporter of the Progressive Liberal Party and became the first woman to contest an election in the Bahamas. She also co-ordinated the founding of the National Council of Women in 1958.

In January 1959, Dr. Doris Johnson who proved to be a formidable leader in the Suffrage Movement led a demonstration to Parliament and gave a pivotal speech to the Members of the House of Assembly concerning the right to vote for women. This event was a turning point in the road to achieving the suffrage. Dr. Johnson spoke passionately and courageously. She held forth, in part,:
"We women have accepted and paid all the taxes which are imposed upon us by a government in which we now have no representation. Since we are powerless to limit these taxes, we are forced to bring charges of tyranny and despotism against this, our government, if it further denies us our rights to choose those who must rule over us and share in the making of our laws.

We, therefore, earnestly desire that this Regime go on record as an enlightened, democratic body, by ordering the immediate enumeration and registration of all women over 21 years and over so that they may carry out their duties as full citizens in the next by-election or general election.

Approximately half of the female population are working women, many of whom are the entire support of their families. Many have built their own homes, have bank accounts, established themselves in business and pay government taxes. An earlier petition points out to the Honourable House that it is a violation of the principles of democracy to grind out taxes from people who are without the power to limit or extend such taxes. Taxation without representation as you will recall was the basic principle upon which the American Revolution was based, and which due to the shortsightedness of the British King George III and his Ministers, lost for Britain our great and beneficent neighbor, the United States of America. It is this principle which still stirs a revolt in the hearts of Bahamian Women and energizes us to make our plea before honourable men".

During the years 1959 and 1960, the movement gained considerable ground advancing Petitions and demonstrating publicly for the right to vote. In November 1960, Eugenia Lockhart and Dr. Doris Johnson accompanied Henry M. Taylor, Chairman of the PLP, to London to present a Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. In January 1961 a Select Committee of the House of Assembly gave a Report in favour of the right to vote for women but with effect from January 1963. The PLP and the Independents in the House of Assembly opposed the report. An appeal was made to the House of Commons in England again. On February 23, 1961 a Bill to enable women to vote was enacted with effect from June 30, 1962.

Bahamian women voted for the first time on November 26, 1962.