Bahamas News
Parliamentarians sensitized on legislative frameworks for empowerment of women and girls
By: Matt Maura
Bahamas Information Services
#TheBahamas, June 4, 2022 – Parliamentarians from across the political landscape, including both Upper and Lower Houses, participated in a one-day training session on legislative reform for The Bahamas, hosted by the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Lisa T. Rahming, said the Session targeted the country’s Parliamentarians in recognition of the importance of legislative reform — including legislative frameworks — for the empowerment of women and girls. The Session was conducted by Ms. Tonni Brodber, Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office-Caribbean.
“UN Women is an international partner that has, over the years, supported the work programme of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs as well as other agencies, and has supported the country in a number of initiatives in an effort to formulate strategies to address gender-based violence in The Bahamas for many years, and we are grateful.” State-Minister Rahming said.
“Ms. Brodber has provided technical assistance to countries in the region on gender equality and women empowerment matters and possesses a wealth of experience in human rights and development issues. My colleagues came out in record numbers, they were engaged, they asked many questions, and I am sure that they got a lot out of it. They got to see what we are faced with in the Ministry of Social Services an Urban Development as it relates to laws pertaining to children, boys, women and girls, and so now when we bring them (draft legislation) before the table, they will be even more in tune with those laws and how they affect the wider society.”
The Session covered a wide-range of topics including Mainstreaming Gender Equality across the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment across the SDGs, a focus on the Spotlight Initiative, CEDAW, the Declaration on Human Rights, Convention of Belem Do Para, Better Policies for Gender-based Violence Legislation, Equality vs. Equity, Gender-responsive budgeting, and Understanding Gender and Gender equality, among many others.
Ms. Brodber said there were three key take-a-ways from the Session, held at the Paul H. Farquharson Centre.
“The first take-a-way is understanding that gender equality is good for men and that it’s good for women and that it is something that will support our economies and assist with citizen security. The second is that legislation that does not reflect gender equality is not good for The Bahamas, it is not good for the Caribbean, it is not good for the world and in terms of low-hanging fruit, like legislation around sexual assault, it is something that can be addressed and should be addressed. There is better practice across the region and The Bahamas is a leader in so many things. It should not be falling behind on that. And the third thing is women and men, working collaboratively in Parliament for the people of The Bahamas, is the only way in which you will be able to really recover from COVID-19.”
Ms. Brodber said local, regional and global societies benefit even more when there is equity and equality between sexes — men and women, boys and girls.
“Something as simple as thinking about the kind of time that it takes to take care of elderly people, children, persons living with disabilities, if that falls only on women, then it means that they are not able to fully engage in other forms of work in society. That means the government is not able to benefit from their work. That means communities are not also able to benefit from their work. It is an honour to be able to care for your family and that is an honour that men should be able to participate in as well.
“Another issue is around violence. If you think women should only be one way and men should only be one way, you may find yourselves in more fights as young men with other young men and demanding certain things from women because you think they should give it to you because you are a man and they are a woman. That is not healthy for peaceful relations.”
Ms. Brodber applauded the Parliamentarians for their participation.
“I was really excited and impressed by the Parliamentarians in The Bahamas. They are dedicated to the people of The Bahamas, they are dedicated to making sure that they represent their constituencies effectively and they are open to learning anything and more of things, but they are grounded in their determination to serve their people in the best way they believe. And that is impressive.”
Attorney-General, Senator, the Hon. Ryan Pinder, was among the Parliamentarians who participated in the Session
“Personally, I am an advocate certainly for equal rights amongst men and women in all regards and protecting the most vulnerable as well and so I support the legislative amendments that we discussed in the Session. We are working very closely with Social Services to put forward the necessary amendments on the matters discussed. All in all you have to look at it as a full picture, providing the necessary protections for the most vulnerable and maintaining equality amongst your people,” the Attorney-General said.
Photo Caption: Ms. Tonni Brodber, Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office-Caribbean, pictured centre left, addresses Parliamentarians during Monday’s Session at the Paul H. Farquharson Centre. Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Lisa T. Rahming, is at centre, right. The event was a collaboration between the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development and UN Women.
(BIS Photos/Mark Ford)
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
