Caribbean Matters: Celebrating women leaders

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. Hope you’ll join us here every Saturday. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.

It never fails to amaze me that the United States has failed to elect a female president. The current global list of female heads of government should embarrass every U.S. resident, especially considering that three of the women on that list are from neighboring Caribbean countries. 

Of course, there is no guarantee that just being female will make a leader progressive, and women in leadership are still underrepresented globally. The United Nations raised that issue in “Why so few women are in political leadership, and five actions to boost women’s political participation.” 

Time Magazine weighed in on the U.S.’s shortcomings in “Other Countries Have Elected Women Leaders for Decades. Why Can’t America?” 

Since March 8 is International Women’s Day, I’d like to introduce—or reintroduce—you to some of those female leaders of the Caribbean, past and present.

The most well-known globally is Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley. I have covered her here frequently—in  October 2021 and November 2021, in November 2022, and in 2023 here, here, and here, so I won’t post a bio. However, congratulations are in order, because The Guardian reported in February that ”Barbados PM Mia Mottley sweeps back into power in third election victory”:

The prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has won her third election victory, with her Barbados Labour party sweeping all seats in the House of Assembly, state TV reported.

Mottley’s BLP won all 30 seats available in the lower house of parliament, unseating the opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, after the prime minister – who has built one of the strongest global profiles of any Caribbean leader – won the support of voters across the island country, CBC Barbados reported early on Thursday.

“Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” Mottley, 60, said in a victory speech.

Surrounded by supporters dressed in red, she announced that Friday would be a public bank holiday in Barbados.

Meet  Dr.Carla Natalie Barnett

Being the first anything is hard. Given the racist past of this country, being the first black anything required a level of talent, humility and grit that few possessed. Being the first black woman to do anything takes an extra level of knowing how to show your strength, maintain your confidence and stand your ground without alienating potential allies, all while having to break down deeply ingrained stereotypes of gender roles.

Add to that being a single mother of four and you can begin to see why the sister werecognize today is lauded as an iconic figure in V.I. history.

Caribbean Women in Leadership has this overview titled “Women Appointed to Highest Political Offices in the Caribbean”:

The Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) acknowledges the historic appointment of Her Excellency Marcella Liburd as the first female Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo as the President Elect of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Her Excellency Marcella Liburd was sworn in on January 31st, 2023, and will serve as the fifth Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis. Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo will be sworn in on March 21st 2023, and will serve as the sixth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the second woman as Head of State.

These appointments are significant to the Caribbean region as it represents strides towards increased gender parity in political and civic life. It also exemplifies to all women and girls that their aspirations to serve as leaders of national offices can be realized regardless of their socio-cultural backgrounds, such as race, ethnicity and religion.

The full and equal participation of women in all spheres is integral to the sustainability of the Caribbean. As such, continued efforts must be made to ensure that women are represented  across all arms of government, and within each Caribbean country. Recent data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) reveals that several Caribbean countries are currently below the threshold of 30 percent representation of women in parliaments, as articulated in the 1996 UN Beijing Platform for Action. This indicates that women’s representation continues to be a specific area for action in the Caribbean.

Caribbean Perspectives wrote about “Female Leadership in the 20th and 21st Century Caribbean”:

The Indigenous People of the Caribbean discovered a new set of conquerors in 1492.
Little did they know what was about to befall them. The conquest of Indigenous Caribbean civilization and subsequent creation of colonial societies in which African women were oppressed fostered a socio-economic and cultural deficit in the Caribbean Basin. Colonialism brought patriarchy, sexism, and racism. Today we must affirm that despite this colonial experience, Caribbean women leaders have emerged to overcome the moribund ideas of chauvinism and colonialism, and the achievements of great women have stood the test of time.

CARICOM profiled Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean:

Dame Mary Eugenia Charles has the distinction of being the first female lawyer in her native land of Dominica and the first female to be elected Prime Minister in the Caribbean.

Her entry into the political arena came in 1968 owing to the attempt of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to have a Sedition Act passed. From then onward she never looked back and confidently blazed the trail for what was to become a distinguished course of statesmanship.

She was appointed to the Legislature in 1970 and to the House of Assembly in 1975. She co-founded the Dominica Freedom Party in 1972 and became the Leader of the Opposition in 1975. Her involvement with her party helped her country relinquish colonial rule on 3rd November, 1978.

Mounting dissatisfaction with the pace of reconstruction after a devastating hurricane helped Ms. Charles lead a political campaign which ensured victory in the 1980 general elections. Thus it was that she was elected Prime Minister, a position which she held for fifteen years. During this period she earned for herself the title of “Iron Lady of the Caribbean”, no doubt because of her indomitable will and unflinching dedication and commitment to set principles and her fearlessness in giving utterance to her beliefs in the face of opposition or maybe, in spite of it.

iKNOW Politics provided more history in “Three Caribbean countries run by females”:

Three Caribbean countries have been governed by women in the last twenty years. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, three former British colonies, shared the experience of having been ruled by women leaders. In the case of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller is Prime Minister since January 2012, and leader of the center-left party People’s National Party (PNP), with 42 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives. Low inflation, and foreign direct investment are features of her mandate, although the unemployment rate is still high. One of the aspirations of Ms. Simpson-Miller is to make Jamaica a republic, leaving behind the British Monarch as Head of State, now that the country celebrates 50 years since independence in August.

In Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Prime Minister between 2010 and 2015. She took office after the victory of the People’s Partnership, becoming the first female Prime Minister of the country, and the first female Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office.

Finally, in Guyana, Ms. Janet Ronsenberg was the 6^th President of Guyana between 1997 and 1999. Ms. Rosenberg, who passed away in 2009, was awarded Guyana’s Order of Excellence in 1993, and also UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal for Women’s Rights in 1998. She was a member of the left-wing People’s Progressive Party, who she co-founded in 1950. 

This 16-minute video titled “10 Most Powerful Caribbean Women Trailblazers In Politics In The Region” is an excellent review:

Caribbean Focus Lifestyle video notes: