Bringing Awareness For Battered Women Syndrome

Over the world in its entity there have been noticeable progress toward closing the gender equality gap; yet still there is greater progress to be made. There are still instances where the law does not provide equality in its treatment of women compared tomen. One such instance is the plight of women suffering from Battered Woman’s Syndrome disorder (BWS), as traditional self-defence law is based on a male-centred idea of using proportional force to defend oneself in the event of an imminent threat when no other escape is possible. Although individual women experience and respond to battering differently, it is evident in research provided by (Walker 1979, 2000) that reactions are common among those who have been exposed to these traumatic events. It is imperative that we as a Bahamian society learn how to recognize Battered Women Syndrome, as there are ample accredited literature supporting this disorder it seems archaic that we have yet to reform our laws to consider this disorder as an aid of defence. 

Chandalee Smith-Taylor    Contact the author of the petition