Bahamas

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an island country consisting of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1973. It is a constitutional parliamentary democracy.

The population is estimated to be 389,482 according to 2019 World Bank estimates.[ref]https://datacommons.org/place/country/BHS?utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=en[/ref] According to the 2010 census, the population is largely Christian with Protestants and Baptists representing 95% of the population. The country is home to around 10,000 Rastafarians, in addition to other belief minorities.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bahamas/[/ref]

Constitution and government Education and children’s rights Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Official symbolic deference to religion
State-funded schools offer religious or ideological instruction with no secular or humanist alternative, but it is optional
No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values
Constitution and government
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general
Official symbolic deference to religion
Education and children’s rights
State-funded schools offer religious or ideological instruction with no secular or humanist alternative, but it is optional
Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals
The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values
Use of Conscientious Objection clauses resulting in the denial of lawful services to women and LGBTI+ people
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in all or most state-funded schools with no secular or humanist alternative
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: Kazakhstan

The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

No condition holds in this strand
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: Andorra

No condition holds in this strand
Religious courts or tribunals rule directly on some family or ‘moral’ matters; it is legally an opt-in system, but the possibility of social coercion is very clear
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

Localised or infrequent but recurring and widespread social marginalisation or prejudice against the non-religious

This condition is unusual in that it is applied in cases where there is some social discrimination, but it is not pervasive or nationwide. This condition is applied when there is sufficient background evidence to warrant the assertion that discrimination is not anomalous but widespread, and this condition may be applied for example even where if there is no legislative discrimination or where the non-religious may have legal recourse against such discrimination. However, societal discrimination (i.e. discrimination by peers, as opposed to state or legal discrimination) is not easily measured, and for this reason the Report does not currently have similar more severe boundary conditions to capture higher levels of social discrimination per se. In principle these may be introduced in future. However, we consider that countries with actual higher levels of social discrimination against the non-religious will generally already meet other higher level (more severe) boundary conditions under this thematic strand.

Countries: Botswana, Greece, Serbia, United States of America

The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination

Applied when the influence of religion on public life undermines others’ rights, such as SRHR, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights.

May be applied when the influence is overt (i.e. when religious laws are applied to undermine others’ rights) or covert (i.e. where religious pressure groups exert influence to affect policy)

Countries: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Oman, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Zambia

The non-religious are persecuted socially or there are prohibitive social taboos against atheism, humanism or secularism
Complete tyranny precludes all freedoms of expression and thought, religion or belief

Applied when overriding acts of oppression by the State are extreme, to the extent that the question of freedom of thought and expression is almost redundant, because all human rights and freedoms are quashed by authorities.

Countries: North Korea

Expression of core Humanist principles on democracy, freedom and human rights is brutally repressed
Expression of non-religious views is severely persecuted, or is rendered almost impossible by severe social stigma, or is highly likely to be met with hatred or violence
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Religious or ideological indoctrination is utterly pervasive in schools
There is a nominal state church with few privileges or progress is being made toward disestablishment

Countries: Bulgaria, Norway, Peru, Rwanda

The non-religious are barred from some government offices (including posts reserved for particular religions or sects)
‘Apostasy’ is outlawed and punishable with a prison sentence

Countries: Bahrain, Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait

‘Apostasy’ or conversion from a specific religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Some religious courts rule in civil or family matters on a coercive or discriminatory basis
Religious authorities have supreme authority over the state

Countries: Iran

State legislation is partly derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general

This condition is applied where there are miscellaneous indicators that organs of the state offer various forms of support for a religion, or to religion in general over non-religious worldviews, suggesting a preference for those beliefs, or that the organs of that religion are privileged.

Countries: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe

There is a pattern of impunity or collusion in violence by non-state actors against the nonreligious
State-funded schools provide religious education which may be nominally comprehensive but is substantively biased or borderline confessional
Religious or ideological instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety

This condition highlights countries where schools subject children to fundamentalist religious instruction with no real opportunity to question fundamentalist tenets, or where lessons routinely encourage hatred (for example religious or ethnic hatred). The wording “significant number of schools” is not given a rigid quantification (sometimes the worst-offending schools are unregistered, illegal, or otherwise uncounted); however the condition is not applied in cases where only a small number of schools meet the description and may be anomalous, as opposed to being indicative of a widespread problem.

Countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

State legislation is largely or entirely derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Anomalous discrimination by local or provincial authorities, or overseas territories
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
‘Blasphemy’ or criticism of religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Government figures or state agencies openly marginalize, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious
Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views
It is illegal to advocate secularism or church-state separation, or such advocacy is suppressed
Prohibitive interreligious social control (including interreligious marriage bans)
Quasi-divine veneration of a ruling elite is enforced, or a single-party regime holds uncontested power, subject to severe punishment
Legal or constitutional provisions exclude non-religious views from freedom of belief
It is illegal to register an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization, or such groups are persecuted by authorities
There is a religious tax or tithing which is compulsory, or which is state-administered and discriminates by precluding non-religious groups
The non-religious are barred from holding government office
Some concerns about children's right to specifically religious freedom

This condition may apply if specifically religious education, religious materials, or specific religious denominations are so tightly controlled that children are in fact over-protected from exposure to religion and are likely unable to explore or construct their own worldview in accordance with their evolving capacities. This condition helps us to classify states (perhaps with secular constitutions) which have criminalized specifically religious beliefs or practices. This condition is not applied if the restricted beliefs or practices are found to be outlawed due to their being of an extremist variety. While this condition does not directly reflect discrimination against non-religious persons or non-religious ideas, it does represent an overall threat to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; such restrictions could spill over to affect non-religious beliefs later; and they pose a risk of backlash against over-zealous secular authorities or even against non-religious individuals by association.

Countries: China, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guyana, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mexico, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe

It is illegal or unrecognised to identify as an atheist or as non-religious
It is made difficult to register or operate an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization
Legend
 
Severe Discrimination
Systemic Discrimination
Mostly Satisfactory
Free and Equal
More information about rating table

Constitution and government

The preamble of the Constitution mentions “abiding respect for Christian values and the Rule of Law” and “recognizing the Supremacy of God.” However, it emphasizes individual liberty and human dignity.[ref]https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/778e3a25-c542-418f-af4b-6f361661a206/Chap+1+Constitution.pdf?MOD=AJPERES[/ref] Chapter three, Article 20 protects the freedom of conscience and expression, while Article 22 specifically forbids infringement of the freedom to choose, change and practice the religion or belief of one’s choice.[ref]https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/04fb4632-1bd7-414f-b66e-9c499b382480/Chap+3+Protection+rights+and+freedoms.pdf?MOD=AJPERES[/ref]

Parliament can restrict religious or belief practices in the interest of public safety, health, public order, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Christian privilege

Christian prayers remain present in all significant government events. It is common for politicians to quote religious teachings during speeches. Senior government officials in their official capacities occasionally addressed assemblies during formal religious services.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bahamas/[/ref]

Political and public discourse often invokes the country’s strong Christian heritage and Christian values. The government meets regularly with Christian leaders, both publicly and privately to discuss societal, political, and economic issues. The government regularly engaged the Bahamas Christian Council to discuss political, economic, and societal issues.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bahamas/[/ref]

Pastors in politics

The Bahamas has had a history of clergy involvement in politics, that includes partisan talking points being brought to the pulpit, endorsement from churches towards certain candidates and even pastors blurring the lines between their religious profile and a political career.[ref]https://web.archive.org/web/20160323092918/https://www.bahamapundit.com/2011/04/religious-leaders-political-involvement.html[/ref] For example:

Following the 2017 elections, the Commonwealth Mission Baptist Church senior pastor Bishop Arnold Josey criticized the number of senior pastors that had emerged into frontline politics, warning from the dominance of political rhetoric and messages from the pulpit. [ref]https://www.bahamaslocal.com/newsitem/180243/Pastors_in_politics.html[/ref]

Education and children’s rights

Religion is taught in government schools and is included in mandatory standardized tests. Christianity has a strong influence on religion classes in government-supported schools, which focus on the study of Christian philosophy and Biblical texts, and, to a lesser extent, comparative and non-Christian religions presented in a Christian context. Article 22 of the Constitution allows students, or their guardians in the case of minors, to decline to participate in religious education and observance in schools.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bahamas/[/ref]

Approximately 55 out of 210 schools in the Bahamas are operated privately, those private schools usually have a current or historical connection with a faith organization, with some having mandatory church attendance.[ref]https://bahamasguides.co/life/international-private-schools-in-bahamas/#lyford-cay-international-school[/ref]

Corporal punishment

A 2021 study from the University of The Bahamas investigated the connection between the importance of religion in a respondents’ life with select social issues in The Bahamas. The study showed “the importance of Religion” was positively associated with the use of corporal punishment by the parents of respondents, and the likelihood of the respondent thinking it is necessary to use physical discipline with children.[ref]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352568456_The_importance_of_religion_and_its_association_with_selected_social_issues_in_The_Bahamas[/ref]

Family, community and society

Issues relating to gender equality, LGBTI+ rights, and forced labour persist as a challenge faced by residents of the Bahamas.[ref]https://freedomhouse.org/country/bahamas/freedom-world/2021[/ref]

Protection from discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief is not mentioned in Article 26 of the Constitution, which protects Bahamians from different forms of discrimination.[ref]https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Bahamas_1973.pdf?lang=en[/ref] Successive attempts to reform the Constitution have failed following referenda.[ref]https://journals.sfu.ca/cob/index.php/files/article/view/339/0[/ref]

Most recently, a 2016 attempt to amend the Constitution to prevent discrimination on the basis of “sex” was rejected. It is suspected that this was in large part due to misinformation campaigns that sought confuse the terms “sex”, “gender” and “sexual orientation” in the minds of the public, suggesting that the reform would open the door to same-sex marriage.[ref]https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCEDAW%2fCSS%2fBHS%2f32599&Lang=en; http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/mar/03/yes-equality-parliament-approves-gender-referendum/[/ref] The sanctity of marriage was regularly raised in coverage of the issue in the lead-up to the referendum, and religious figures consulted for their opinions.[ref]http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/jun/02/rev-cb-moss/; https://www.coha.org/no-to-yes-struggle-for-equality-in-the-bahamas/; YES BAHAMAS CAMPAIGN Response to the Save Our Bahamas committee (the “NO” Pastors) – Government – News[/ref]

Equality Bahamas, a volunteer-run organization reports that issues of discrimination, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia are “amplified by religious fundamentalism and antiquated laws and policies,” arguing that such issues are exacerbated by governments acquiescing to the wishes of religious leaders.[ref]https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCEDAW%2fCSS%2fBHS%2f32599&Lang=en[/ref]

Women’s rights

A report by Equality Bahamas has underlined the difficulties in reporting domestic violence to the police. The police in some cases do not respond to calls regarding domestic violence. The report highlights the role of Christian expectation of women’s submission and gender stereotypes plays in this issue. These factors according to the volunteer groups are perpetuated by “people and organizations in authority such as the church. It is frequently said that women are to submit themselves to their husbands, seemingly without any form of reciprocation or responsibility on the part of the husbands.”[ref]https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/BHS/INT_CEDAW_CSS_BHS_32599_E.pdf[/ref]

A 2019 research paper from the University of The Bahamas under the title ‘Learning Gender-based Attitudes in The Bahamas’ looked into how Bahamian citizens learn their attitudes towards women.[ref]https://journals.sfu.ca/cob/index.php/files/article/view/339/pdf_70[/ref] It found that:

“The most important influence on Bahamians was the participant’s mother. She, in turn, was influenced by the messages she received from faith-based sources. Official governmental sources of information and the opinions of politicians and school teachers appeared to be less influential.[…] Changes in attitudes towards women will require a more enlightened message to be taught and reinforced by faith-based organizations.”

Campaigns of misinformation invoking religious moralism seem to be a common theme in media coverage in The Bahamas, the 2016 referendum on gender equality and a spousal rape-related legislation 2009 are examples of initiatives that ultimately failed to pass as a result of such campaigns. A research paper from 2012 analyzed the newspaper framing of the issue of spousal rape, found that 37% of all pieces in the newspapers analyzed mentioned the position of a church, a religious association, or a clergyman. The Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) was among the most prominent opponents of revisions of the law[ref]https://journals.sfu.ca/cob/index.php/files/article/view/164/219[/ref]. Religious leaders inserted themselves in the proceedings and public debate, citing protection of the “sanctity” of marriage.

LGBTI+ rights

LGBTI+ individuals face social stigma and discrimination in various domains, including in employment and housing.[ref]https://freedomhouse.org/country/bahamas/freedom-world/2021; https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bahamas/[/ref] The discrimination is aggravated by the lack of adequate protection by authorities and legal protection against discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bahamas/[/ref] Same-sex marriage is illegal.

However, the first-ever Pride week was celebrated in October 2020, despite backlash from religious groups.[ref]https://freedomhouse.org/country/bahamas/freedom-world/2021[/ref]

A 2021 study from the University of The Bahamas, which investigated the connection between the importance of religion in a respondents’ life with select social issues in The Bahamas, found that disapproval of same-sex marriage to be high across society, but intolerance is higher when religion is more important in the respondents’ life.[ref]https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCEDAW%2fCSS%2fBHS%2f32599&Lang=en[/ref]

Members of parliament have been known to express anti-LGBTI+ and specifically anti-trans views stating that they go against the will of God.[ref]http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/may/05/miller-refuses-apologise-over-transgender-remarks/[/ref]

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

Freedom of expression is well protected in the Bahamas. The nation has a well-developed and diverse media, including state-run radio as well as independent broadcasters and newspapers. The combination of an independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined, promote freedom of expression. Independent media is able to express a wide variety of views without restriction.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bahamas/[/ref]

Human rights organizations generally operate without government restriction, investigating, and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials were generally cooperative and responsive to their views.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bahamas/[/ref]