The Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, is pictured with Sasha Dixon, Second Secretary, Bahamas Permanent Mission, Geneva, at the Opening Session of the 71st session of UN CEDAW, October 22, 2018.
NASSAU, Bahamas — The government is working on a patient’s bill of rights that will deal with the right of a woman to have an abortion, the Nassau Guardian reported October 26.
This was revealed during the 71st Session of the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women in Geneva, Switzerland, by Senior Nursing Officer in the Ministry of Health Sherry Armbrister.
“Currently we are working on a patient’s bill of rights, which has to go to Parliament, and once that is passed or when it is passed, it will pave the way for us to deal with the emancipated youth as well as the right for a woman to have [an] abortion,” said Armbrister, as she responded to questions on health in relation to the sixth periodic report of The Bahamas.
CEDAW asked the delegation to “inform the committee of measures taken to broaden the conditions under which abortion can legally be made available, including in instances of rape, incest, severe fetal impairment and risk to the health of the pregnant woman”.
Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell, who led the delegation to Geneva, added that under current law, “if there is any jeopardy to the health of the mother, the abortion is allowed and, yes, the question of abortion as it relates to rape cases is allowed. https://thenassauguardian.com/2018/10/26/bill-will-address-abortion-issue-un-forum-told/
