Patricia Gordon-Pamplin has told MPs how she was “beaten for breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea” by her ex-husband.

The Minister of Community, Culture and Sport spoke of her experiences as a young woman during a debate on setting up a joint select committee to look at the issues facing women in the challenging economic environment.

“I can speak to personal experiences,” she told the House of Assembly on Wednesday night. “Having a child at the age of 15, married at the age of 17, having been beaten for breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea — fractured skull, fractured ribs, divorced at 21, and one would think perhaps in those circumstances, being a single parent, having divorced my partner and having to rely on my own devices that it could really have spelled doom and gloom.

“I stand here 50 years later to say that it was not the end of the world. Having family support was critical.”

But she said many young women who are single-parent heads of households may not have a support system.

“These are the kinds of things that can be explored as to how such a committee can make recommendations so these young women will find themselves better off able to handle their circumstances,” she said.

“The fact that somebody is single and perhaps head of a household, a single-parent and they have an unemployment situation, doesn’t have to be the end of the world for them.”

The House of Assembly agreed to form the joint select committee as a result of a motion tabled by PLP backbencher Kim Wilson and amended by Nandi Outerbridge, the Junior Minister of Community, Culture and Sports.

Launching the debate, Ms Wilson noted the results of the recent job force survey that found woman often make 65 per cent of what men do for the same work.

She also said that in the present economic climate, many women have found themselves unemployed, leading to a great deal of emotional distress, particularly for single mothers.

Ms Wilson also noted the phenomenon of the “sandwich generation” — women who are caught trying to manage a career while caring for children and ageing parents — and recalled speaking to one woman who was forced to bring her daughter home from university after losing her job.

But she said age discrimination can also increase challenges facing women looking for work, adding: “When a middle age person loses their job it’s going to be much harder for them to regain employment.”

Mrs Outerbridge added that while the island has come a long way towards gender equality, there was still a long way to go.

She spoke of her own challenges as a single mother balancing work and raising children, adding: “If you are unemployed, doing all of the above while trying to figure out how to keep the lights on, it can be very stressful.”

Ms Gordon-Pamplin also stressed that Bermuda, despite the Employment Act, had “a long way to go in terms of some of the conditions that must be made available to women, that could be perhaps consistent with international standards”.

Another major aspect is ensuring women are afforded equal rights to credit “free from discrimination”, she added.

PLP backbencher Zane DeSilva challenged banks to “try and find a little more sympathy” for single mothers and also encouraged more companies to include women on their boards, noting that many boardrooms are run by males.

The committee could also consider extending maternity leave and look into paternity leave, he said, adding that some countries allow women one year with full pay.

“Employers need to me more sympathetic and supportive of our mothers,” he said.

Mr DeSilva also encouraged the committee to talk to Brian Duperreault, the CEO of Hamilton Insurance Group, whom he described as an advocate for women in the workforce.

PLP backbencher Walton Brown said statistics showed the island still had systematic structural discrimination against women, saying that more women need to find positions in power to fully address the issue.

“It’s important to have women in power to readjust that power imbalance,” he said. “The more you have representation, the less certain issues become issues.”

And Lovitta Foggo, the Shadow Minister of Education, said she hoped the committee would look into the importance of networking and the support women can provide to each other to create opportunities for success.

Jeanne Atherden, the Minister of Health, Seniors and the Environment, also welcomed the motion, saying it is important to maximise opportunities for families. She urged the committee to look at all aspects of women’s lives with the view to breaking the life cycles of single-parent households.

Jamahl Simmons, the shadow tourism minister, spoke to the effects of unemployment on women, particularly single mothers, and said it is important to teach women the necessary skills to get a job.

And according to Michael Scott, the Shadow Attorney-General, who said unemployment had risen and discriminatory practices had worsened the impact on women, especially those over 50, the motion was timely.

He drew attention to Enda Matthie, who is staging a hunger protest outside Parliament, saying she “is yet another example of a middle-aged woman out of work and being impacted by these issues”.

Mr Scott said the committee would have to consider Bermuda’s immigration policy, adding that it was important that this did “not exacerbate or militate against reintroducing employment”.

Meanwhile, shadow finance minister David Burt implored the Bermuda Government to provide the resources for the committee to be successful and to be able to produce its report in a timely manner.