Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson says that there is expectation that the gender equality referendum will happen this year.

The attorney general also added that before the referendum is held, the government plans to educate Bahamians.

“The referendum will take place this year and more importantly people want to know more about what is involved. It is very clear that people want to know more about the issues that are involved and it is very important that before the referendum is called, the questions are answered.

“The public should know the issues and be confident that when they go into the booth and vote on any of the questions that their questions are answered. There are some questions that people have about what it means and where it will go.”

In a report last year by the Work Bank Group, it stated that The Bahamas is one of the many countries which provide barriers to economic opportunities for women.

The report by the World Bank Group titled “Women, Business and the Law 2016,” has The Bahamas listed as one of the 22 countries whose constitutions are not allowing of women to convey their nationality to their spouses and children in the same way men can.

The referendum has been delayed many times since 2013 and as it stands only a Bahamian married under the Bahamas Constitution is allowed to marry a foreign woman and give his nationality to her and children as long as he is a Bahamian at the time of the child’s birth.

The referendum, which was first expected in June 2013, was delayed to November 2013 but was later said it would happen instead at the end of June 2014.