Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dr. Eric Anthony Grollman
Second Advisor
Dr. Jeff Hass
Third Advisor
Dr. Bedelia Richards
Abstract
Women in the Bahamas face various forms of pervasive sexist discrimination and high rates of gender-based violence. However, recent governmental initiatives aimed at addressing gender inequality have not proven effective. The narrow focus on individual reforms like anti-crime measures to curb structural violence highlights a lack of understanding of gender inequality as embedded within social institutions. To interrogate the institutionalized nature of gender inequality in the Bahamas, the present study draws on in-depth interviews with seven Bahamian women’s rights activists to explore the social, cultural, and political explanations for the persistence of gender-based violence and discrimination. Three major themes emerged from the interviews: 1) determinants of gender-based violence and discrimination; 2) barriers to addressing them; 3) and, proposed solutions to eliminate gender inequality. This study highlights the structural nature of inequality, focusing on meso- and macro-level explanations for the contemporary state of gender relations.
Recommended Citation
Munnings, Jennifer, "“Smile For Me, Sweetie!”: An Analysis of Contemporary Gender Based Violence and Discrimination in The Bahamas" (2020). Honors Theses. 1495.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1495
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