PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: davia@endtodv.org

Men and boys in the Bahamas face unnoticed difficulties that reflect their challenging reality

March 7, 2025. A crisis affects men and boys in The Bahamas, as they face numerous challenges that remain largely unrecognized.

Education:

In 2023, the gross enrollment rate in secondary education for females was 84.865%, while for males it was 72.59%. (1) indicating that women are more represented in secondary education in The Bahamas. In the fall 2023, 75% of students enrolled at the University of The Bahamas (UB) were female, totaling 3,357 students, while only 25% (1,114 students) were male, demonstrating a dramatic difference in tertiary education. (2)

Health:

In the Bahamas, women have a significantly higher life expectancy than men, living on average 7 years longer (77.8 years for females vs. 70.7 years for males). (3) Additionally, the adult male mortality rate in 2022 was 220 per 1,000 male adults (4), nearly double the female mortality rate of 121 per 1,000 (5), highlighting a considerable disparity in health outcomes between genders.

Homicide:

In the Bahamas, men accounted for the overwhelming majority of murder victims, representing 92% of the 128 homicides in 2022 and 95% of the 110 homicides in 2023. Police statistics also indicate that most victims in both years were young men between the ages of 18 and 35. (6)

Suicide:

In 2019, the suicide rate in the Bahamas was 3.50 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a significant gender disparity: 5.9 for men and 1.3 for women, highlighting the disproportionate impact on men. (7)

Abuse:

A study in The Bahamas revealed that 22.8% of women have suffered physical violence in intimate relationships. Although partner abuse is typically thought of as only victimizing females, in fact, 14% of men also were abuse victims. (9)

Homelessness:

Men face greater economic vulnerability, with a poverty rate of 13.2%, slightly higher than the 12.4% for women. (10)

Conclusion

Addressing the challenges faced by men and boys in The Bahamas is essential for building a more just and inclusive society. Their struggles are not only a local issue but part of a global reality that demands greater awareness and action. (11)

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/

Links:

1.https://www.ceicdata.com/en/bahamas/social-education-statistics/bs-school-enrollment-secondary-female–gross

2. https://www.ub.edu.bs/wp-content/uploads/UB-At-A-Glance-17th-April-2024-1.pdf

3. https://www.statista.com/statistics/970409/life-expectancy-at-birth-in-bahamas-by-gender/

4.https://tradingeconomics.com/bahamas/mortality-rate-adult-male-per-1-000-male-adults-wb-data.html#:~:text=1%2C000%20Male%20Adults)-,Mortality%20rate%2C%20adult%2C%20male%20(per%201%2C000%20male%20adults),Bank%20on%20February%20of%202025.&text=Adult%20mortality%20rate%2C%20male%2C%20is,specified%20year%20between%20those%20ages.

5. https://tradingeconomics.com/bahamas/mortality-rate-adult-female-per-1-000-female-adults-wb-data.html#:~:text=1%2C000%20Female%20Adults)-,Mortality%20rate%2C%20adult%2C%20female%20(per%201%2C000%20female%20adults),Bank%20on%20February%20of%202025.&text=Adult%20mortality%20rate%2C%20female%2C%20is,specified%20year%20between%20those%20ages.

6. https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/bahamas-led-region-in-percentage-of-murdered-men-un-says/article_a0d3b654-a6c0-11ef-952e-3732e49cc586.html

7.https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/BHS/bahamas/suicide-rate

8. https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/e0ed2ab0-0d12-4a9e-b57d-4f5f3edaf988/PRESS+RELEASE+-+New+UB+Research+Study+Reveals+Data+on+Abuse+of+Men+in+Intimate+Relationships+with+Women.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

9, https://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/one-in-four-women-in-the-bahamas-victim-of-abuse-study-finds/article_be7d3fc0-ebb0-11ee-90ec-1b72d99203e3.html

10. https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/5312dd47-5cd9-45f5-bf6c-dea99f3a6226/Bahamas%2BHousehold%2BExpenditure%2BSurvey%2B2013%2BReport_v2.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&utm_

11. https://www.menandboys.net/