A/HRC/38/12 could access obstetric care within the network of polyclinics or at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Consequently, Barbados did not have a high rate of maternal mortality. 11. The delegation noted that, on the matter of conferring citizenship to a spouse, the Constitution of Barbados was amended by the Constitution (Amendment) Act (2000-18) and provided, in section 3A (1) (b), for citizenship to be granted to the spouses of Barbadian-born men, as well as those of Barbadian-born women. 12. In addition, a person born outside Barbados after 29 November 1966 was entitled to Barbadian citizenship at birth if at least one parent was a Barbadian citizen by birth. 13. The Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act had been amended by the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) (Amendment) Act, 2016, which made provision for the definition of the term “domestic violence” and made greater provision for the safety of victims and children. The amendment enabled more persons to apply for orders, defined new types of abuse and gave the police additional powers. The amendment also included a mandatory reporting protocol and acknowledged that allowing a child to observe domestic violence was a form of abuse. Work continued on the Juvenile Justice Bill, in which the term “child” was defined as a person under the age of 18 years. 14. The Government of Barbados viewed all violence as a cause for concern. While Barbados had the appropriate legislative and administrative measures to combat domestic violence and the physical abuse of children, cooperation to strengthen current initiatives would be welcomed. To strengthen its ability to craft or modify policy, Barbados had requested access to programmes and training opportunities and assistance to develop and deploy appropriate statistical indicators in furthering the cause of human rights. 15. An interministerial committee had been created to oversee, among other things, the establishment of a national human rights institution. Such an institution would be broadly responsible for promoting and protecting human rights in the country. 16. Barbados had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 27 February 2013 and the first draft of the Persons with Disabilities Bill was under review. The Bill sought to give the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities the force of law in Barbados. 17. The Employment (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill was also being developed to cover areas such as the prevention of discrimination in job creation, recruiting and prevention of discrimination in employment. The Bill imposed an obligation on employers to make reasonable adjustments for the accommodation of persons with disabilities. It also created a prohibition against testing for medical conditions. 18. Work was ongoing on the Building Standards Bill and Code. The Bill and Code sought to impose building standards to address the needs of persons with disabilities. 19. The Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2017, amended the Road Traffic Act to insert a new section to address parking for persons with disabilities. 20. The delegation announced that Barbados had well-established programmes for older persons, which were premised on the concepts of “active ageing” and “ageing in place”. That was necessary as Barbadians continued to live longer and the country continued to record high numbers of centenarians. Statistics compiled as of May 2016 indicated that there were 114 centenarians alive on the island, of whom 103 were women and 11 men. Furthermore, that number contained 14 persons, 13 women and 1 man, considered to be semi-super centenarians, with ages ranging from 105 to 109. 21. While life expectancy was important, the quality of life was also essential. The Government had, therefore, produced initiatives to encourage enjoyment of life regardless of age. The Active Ageing programme, for example, sought to keep older persons active for as long as possible. Government-sponsored activities allowed older persons to engage in varying forms of exercise, drama, dance and craft, while in the National Senior Games, older persons competed against each other in track and field and fun events. Ageing in Place was an alternative programme to institutional care, in which older persons were afforded the opportunity to stay in their own homes. Under the Home Care programme, clients were given the required support by trained staff in order to maintain their independence. 3