10 Most Powerful Caribbean Women Trailblazers In Politics In The Region

Imagine a world where the halls of power echo with diverse voices, where every decision reflects the richness of our global community. In a realm still dominated by men, a group of trailblazing women from the Caribbean are rewriting the narrative, proving that gender is no barrier to political leadership and excellence. They are not just participants but pioneers, carving a path for future generations.

Today, we’re diving deep into the stories of 10 of the most influential women in Caribbean politics. From groundbreaking achievements to challenges overcome, these leaders are not just changing the face of politics in the Caribbean but are also inspiring women and girls worldwide to dream big and break barriers.

Stay with us as we unveil the journeys of these remarkable women, their victories, their struggles, and the impact they are creating in shaping a more equitable world. This isn’t just a story of political success; it’s a celebration of female empowerment and a call to action for gender equality. Don’t miss out on this enlightening journey into the lives of women who are not only leading but also transforming the political landscape in the Caribbean!

Globally, the presence of women in politics is still far from being similar to that of men. Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and social life are essential to achieve a fair, more sustainable world; yet data show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off.

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, established to accelerate progress in meeting their needs worldwide. Data compiled by UN Women in 2023 show a very uneven balance between men and women in politics worldwide. For instance, women represent 22.8% of Cabinet members heading Ministries, and only 26.5% of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women. Interestingly, the five most commonly held portfolios by women Cabinet Ministers are Women and gender equality, followed by Family and Children affairs, Social inclusion and Development, social protection and social security, and Indigenous and minority affairs.

Regional variations are also noted, as women’s representation in local deliberative bodies in Latin America and the Caribbean, is down to 27% with only sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, lower than us. Women hold 36% of parliamentary seats in Latin America and the Caribbean, a much higher percentage than sub-Saharan Africa (26%), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (22%), or Northern Africa and Western Asia (18%).

Only six countries in the world have 50 percent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses, and one of them is Cuba, with 53%. 

While much work is still needed to achieve gender equality, the active participation of women in the global political landscape is vital to fulfilling the potential of democracy. 

This is particularly true in the Caribbean and Latin America, where, on average, 22% of ministerial portfolios/cabinet positions are held by women. In the anglophone Caribbean, women do not hold more than 30% of elected positions, except for Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Today, we are highlighting 10 of the most powerful women in politics throughout the Caribbean region. We dream to see more rise to power in the coming years and contribute to much-needed gender equality and the achievement of priority goals including ending violence against women, engaging women in all aspects of security processes, and increasing women’s leadership and participation.

So, let’s dive in… Here are 10 of the most powerful women in politics in the Caribbean today.

#10. Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament Saint Ann Southeast Constituency, Jamaica

While she rose to popularity thanks to her election as Miss World in 1993, Lisa Hanna is now a member of the opposition People’s National Party in Jamaica. She is currently serving her fourth term as a Member of Parliament for the Saint Ann South-East constituency and served as Minister of Youth and Culture from 2012 to 2016. Jamaicans are still fond of her due to her beauty title, as she was the third Jamaican to ever be crowned Miss World after Carole Crawford (1969) and Cindy Breakspeare (1973).

Lisa Hanna is a passionate activist; however, she does not have a huge success record in politics, as the recent 23% decline in support in her constituency highlights.

#9. Silveria Jacobs, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten’s Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs has a background in education. She worked as a primary school teacher and then student coordinator for 19 years. Towards the end of her educational career, she joined the National Alliance and started serving as Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture from 2012 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2018. In 2018 she was the first woman to be elected leader of the National Alliance. 

In 2019 the NA allied with The United St Maarten Party and Governor Eugene Holiday appointed Jacobs to lead the interim Cabinet. Her second term as Prime Minister started on March 28, 2020.

#8. Marcella Liburd, Governor-General of St Kitts and Nevis

Dame Marcella Althea Liburd, GCMG and JP, is a Kittitian politician serving as the fifth governor-general of Saint Kitts and Nevis, since February 1^st, 2023. Born in 1953, she trained as a teacher and then as a barrister and solicitor. She was the first woman to serve as both the Speaker of the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Governor-General. On her path to her current role, she has served in various Ministerial positions including Acting Prime Minister and Chair of the Opposition for the Labor Party. She was the first woman to serve as Chair in the party’s history.

#7. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Analytical Chemistry, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology, and her Doctoral degree in Organic Chemistry, Dr. Nyan Elizabeth Gadsby-Dolly served as an educator for 11 years and then worked as a Senior Lecturer at COSTAATT for 6 years. She was then elected Member of Parliament for St. Ann’s East in 2015 and served as Minister of Community Development, Culture, and the Arts in the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2020. During this time, she also chaired the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality, and Diversity. On August 19, 2020, she was appointed the Minister of Education of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, a post she still holds today.

An avid reader and researcher, she is a true inspiration to the younger generations of Trinidadian women.

#6. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, Minister of Education and Social Development, Anguilla

An attorney-at-law, Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers is not only Anguilla’s Minister of Education and Social Development but also an accomplished athlete who represented her country at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014. She was crowned Miss Anguilla in 2017 and Miss Universe Great Britain in 2018, the first black woman to receive such a nomination.

In 2020, she was elected to the Anguillan Parliament, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the House of Assembly, as she was only 27. In February 2022, aged 29, she served as acting Premier for 10 days, becoming the youngest person to serve in the position in the country’s history.

In protest of the government’s decisions about GST, Kentish-Rogers later resigned from the government, a true example of a woman who stands by her principles. She was eventually reappointed one week later.

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#5. Carla Nathalie Barnett, Secretary General of CARICOM, Belize

On August 1, 2021, Carla Natalie Barnett became the eighth Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by unanimous appointment of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.                 

This was possible thanks to her over 30 years of professional experience in the Region, including having served as Deputy Secretary-General at the CARICOM Secretariat, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Belize, Financial Secretary of the Government of Belize, and Vice President, Operations at the Caribbean Development Bank, blazing a trail as the first woman appointed in these positions.  

She is a consistent advocate for gender equality as good economic policy and as the right path for a more equitable society. Dr. Barnett has received several awards, including Commander of the British Empire for distinguished public service.

#4. Juliana O’Connor-Connelly, Premier of Cayman Islands

Premier and Minister for Finance, Education, District Administration, Lands and Cabinet Office, the Honorable Juliana Yvonne O’Connor-Connolly was elected to the Legislative Assembly (now Parliament) for the first time in November 1996 to represent the District of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, becoming this way the first lady to represent that district in the Legislative Assembly.

She then became Cayman’s first female Minister in 1997 and served until 2000 as the Minister of Community Affairs, Sports, Women, Youth, and Culture.

She was a member of Cabinet from 2009 to 2013, then Speaker of the House from 2013 to 2017, and served as Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands from 2017 to early 2021.

Now in her seventh consecutive term as a Member of Parliament, Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly is the longest-serving female member and the first woman to become Deputy Premier and Premier of the Cayman Islands.

#3. Christine Kangaroo, President-Elect of Trinidad and Tobago 

62-years old Christine Carla Kangaloo prides herself on a stellar political career in Trinidad and Tobago, which in 2001, saw her become a Member of Parliament as an opposition senator, then the first woman Vice President of the Senate, and again Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister in 2002. 

She was then appointed Minister of Legal Affairs in 2005, elected to the House of Representatives for the People’s National Movement in 2007, and served as Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education. In 2015 she was elected President of the Senate, becoming the only person to ever serve as both President and Vice President in the country. She resigned from the position only to run for President of Trinidad and Tobago, which she was elected on March 20^th, 2023: the second woman to serve as President in her beautiful Caribbean country.

#2. Sandra Mason, 1^st President of Barbados

Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, class 1949, is a Barbadian politician, lawyer, and diplomat who has been serving as the first president of Barbados since 2021.

Prior to this, she was the eighth and final governor-general of Barbados from 2018 to 2021, the second woman to hold the office. On 20 October 2021, Mason was elected by the Parliament of Barbados to become the country’s first president and took office on 30 November 2021, when Barbados ceased to be a constitutional monarchy and became a republic.

She was actually the one, in 2020, to deliver the news that Barbados would become a republic, abolishing the Barbadian monarchy. 

#1. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados

The so-called “Prime Minster of the Caribbean”, Mia Amor Mottley, is without any doubt the most powerful and acknowledged woman in politics in our region. Her involvement in the welfare of her country has no comparison and her career has been constellated with successes and records. The Prime Minister of Barbados has been, as a matter of fact, the first female leader of the Barbados Labor Party and the Opposition and the first female Attorney General.

Mottley was also the youngest ever Queen’s Counsel in Barbados. On May 25, 2018, Mottley became the eighth Prime Minister of Barbados, and the first woman to hold the prestigious title.

The full and equal participation in all spheres of the political life of the Caribbean reality is truly fundamental to its sustainability and welfare. With the current thresholds so far below the global average, it is vital to understand that more effort must be made to ensure women are represented across all sectors of the political life of our region. This will contribute to the success of our countries, and a better vision of women in general. The recent appointments of some of the women we just saw represent huge strides towards better gender equality in our political and civic life, showcasing the great abilities of women in this sector and contributing to a new perception of women, which gives our girls and young women an inspiration to achieve higher goals in their lives.

As our journey with the Top 10 most influential women in Caribbean politics comes to an end, let’s carry their spirit of resilience and change into our own lives. These remarkable women remind us that with determination and courage, we can all play a part in shaping a fairer, more inclusive world.

If this story has inspired you, keep the momentum going. Support, advocate, and be the change you wish to see. Your voice matters in the continuous fight for gender equality in politics and beyond.

Check out  this video on 10 of The Most Powerful and Influential Caribbean Women In The Diaspora Globally

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