It is time to continue our exploration around the political world to meet some presidents, chancellors, prime ministers, governors-general and even royals, who are also women.
I want to emphasize that I am talking about national leaders here, heads of state and heads of government, who just happen to be female by association. The reason I am highlighting them is not to propose that there would be some kind of crucial difference between them and their male counterparts. The motives behind the series are curiosity and social conscience – female leaders are still rare around the world, and this fact exposes some fundamental defects in our social systems.
This time it is okay to take your sun cream and parasols with you, because our next stop is in the Caribbean.
The Governors of the Caribbean
Most of the independent Caribbean island nations are former possessions of the British Empire. While the nations got their independence in 1960s and 1970s, as a sort of colonial legacy they are still part of the British Commonwealth, as well as figuratively ruled by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Most of the island nations are parliamentary democracies, governed by a prime minister and a governor-general who is the representative of the Queen. The economies are mostly dependent on tourism and they have two-pronged foreign relations: usually their economies are more linked to the United States while they have political linkage to the United Kingdom.
In practice, the power lies in the hands of the prime ministers, who are currently almost exclusively male. However, the share of female governors-general in these states is remarkable enough that we should not ignore it. We are also able to find a prime minister and a president. Let us take a closer look at this peculiar post and its holders.
The Association of Caribbean States provides more information and news form the area.
The nations we discuss are on the bottom right corner. Map from Wikivoyage. Author Cacahuate.
Barbados
Population 278, 000 (2010)
Barbados is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. It became independent in 1966. Barbados is an island known for its reputation as “Little England”. Cricket and horse racing are very popular. The most important industries are tourism and financial services. The head of state is Elizabeth II, whose local representative is Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason (knighted in the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George at the time of her appointment), who conducts parliamentary elections and appoints the members of the Senate together with the prime minister. Barbados is also exceptional in the sense that they have a female prime minister. The prime minister, Mia Mottley, shares the real power with the government. As a head of government, she appoints ministers and controls the majority in the lower house of the Parliament.
Mia Mottley is the leader of the Barbados Labour Party and the first female Prime Minister of Barbados. She has previously held the position of Attorney-General of Barbados, also the first woman to hold this position. She is only the fifth woman in the whole English-speaking Caribbean to hold the position of prime minister.
Mia Mottley in Geneva in 2019. Timothy Sullivan (UNCTAD). Originally posted to Flickr. Published under cc-by-sa-2.0.
Grenada
Population 107, 000 (2016)
Grenada is a single island nation and a constitutional monarchy with a similar model to Barbados. The base of the economy of this fertile country is agriculture. An important export product, nutmeg, is depicted even in the national flag. It gained its independence in 1974. The Governor-General, Dame Cécile La Grenade, is a Grenadian food scientist. She has also been rewarded with several honors, like the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and St George. The role of the Governor-General is largely ceremonial, but she is still the local representative of the head of state. Income inequality in Grenada is dire, but the beautiful nature and a capital city surrounded by a magnificent lagoon provide a good base for tourism.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Population 110, 000 (2016)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are a group of islands, consisting of a larger volcanic island (Saint Vincent), and the smaller Grenadines. The islands first gained their independence in 1979. The nation is relatively poor, and the most important export products include banana and spices. Even though the area is often ravaged by hurricanes, the nature is beautiful, and thus the islands are popular among rich tourists.
The Governor-General opens the House of Assembly and appoints several officials. The post is largely ceremonial, but once again, is the local representative of the head of state. Susan Dougan has held the post from August 2019. She is the first female ever to hold this position.
Trinidad and Tobago
Population 1, 359, 000 (2018)
Trinidad and Tobago are two islands named after the holy trinity and tobacco, lying in the Southernmost Caribbean, close to Venezuelan cost. They became independent in 1962. The country is one of the richest in the Caribbean. The nation was saved from poverty in the 1920s, when deposits of natural gas and oil were discovered.
The political culture is a bit different from the other countries on the list, since Trinidad and Tobago is not a monarchy and has a president instead of a governor-general. The president inherited the position and mandate of the governor in 1976. The president is elected by an Electoral College and appoints the leader of the biggest party to the position of prime minister. The current president and head of state is Paula-Mae Weekes. She holds a degree in law. She was elected in March 2018 as an independent candidate and a sort of compromise between the two biggest parties PNM and UNC – she was the only candidate on the election date.
Population estimations from Wikipedia.