Rooted in Resilience: Women in Bahamian Politics

By Tyrone L. E. Fitzgerald

Women in Bahamian Politics Rooted in Resilience

Undoubtedly, Bahamian women have made significant, pioneering, and courageous personal and collective contributions to the changing complexion, evolutionary nature, and national development of the political landscape in The Bahamas; both historically and interdependently alongside their male political contemporaries.

Their challenges and struggles to attain the right to vote in 1961 through the indefatigable leadership and auspices of Bahamian women such as Mary Ingraham, Georgianna Symonette, Eugenia Lockhart, and Dame Dr. Doris Johnson, within the Women’s Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas, and actively participate in the country’s grassroot political process, demonstrated their determination, resilience, activism, and political will to achieve social justice, educational opportunities, economic empowerment, and a national recognition of the civil rights and liberties of the nation’s black and female majority.

The nonlinear trajectory to today’s modern political ascendence for Bahamian women has been both a revolution and revelation of the nation’s attitudes and aspirations for its female political participants and leaders over the years.

Within the newly established political landscape metamorphosing in the 1950’s and 60’s, where the grassroot activism of youthful and charismatic Henry Milton Taylor, Randol Fawkes, Cyril Stevenson, Milo Butler, and Lynden Pindling was shapeshifting to the political expediency of a Black majority working towards self determinism, some Bahamians -both men and women- may have believed that the political aspirations of Bahamian women pursuing the right to vote and eventually participating in active frontline politics as “quixotic” and “disruptive” to the practical ethos and energy of what many knew was transpiring and ruminating in political abeyance by their rising political aspirants.

Whilst The Bahamas has made commendable political strides to provide a workable socio-economic and political platform for Bahamian women to address and articulate the power and potentiality of their political currency and adaptive leadership, within the historical context of true national development and collective nationhood, quite arguably, they have sometimes been deprived of the full moral support and political machinery that have been the social entitlement and patriarchal right of the more experienced and aspiring male political leaders in our country.

The painstaking and selfless achievements of female politicians such as Dame Janet Bostwick, the first woman to serve as acting Prime Minister, first woman Attorney- General, and first female Member of Parliament in The Bahamas; Dame Ivy Dumont, the first female Governor General; Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Security, and our current Governor General; Allyson Maynard Gibson, former Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs; Loretta Butler-Turner, former Minister of Social Services, and Glenys Hanna-Martin, the current Minister Education and Technical and Vocational Training and the country’s longest serving female parliamentarian, have served to pull the curtain back on the traditional accoutrements of political recognition and reward of Bahamian male political leaders, no doubt deserving, but have foreshadowed the sacrifice, servitude, and significance of Bahamian female leadership in The Bahamas. Her Excellency The Most Hon. Cynthia A. Pratt, O.N., GCMG Courtesy of the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Despite their progress, however, Bahamian women, by any global international standard of political participation and leadership, remain noticeably underrepresented.

Today’s Bahamian female politicians account for eighteen percent of the country’s Members of Parliament; twenty-three percent of Ministers of Government; and twenty five percent of Senators but comprise a sizeable majority of the Bahamian electorate.

To many political pundits and international observers though, things are changing markedly for Bahamian women in the political arena in recent years and have been pivoting towards greater representation at the ministerial level, in Parliament, and in the Senate, with the dynamism, intellect, and charisma of a new breed of Bahamian female politician.

The tireless work and efforts of JoBeth Coleby, Minister of Transport and Energy; Pia Glover, Minister of Labour and the Public Service; Ginger Moxey, Minister of Grand Bahama; Lisa Rahming, Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development; Patricia Deveaux, Speaker of the House of Assembly; Lashell Adderley, President of the Senate; Michaela Barnett-Ellis, Senator; and Maxine Seymour, Senator, as well of those of veteran politicians such as Glenys Hanna- Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training, and Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Governor General, as well as their female political contemporaries, represent the diversity of talent, experience, perspective, and political currency that currently exists in our nation today.

Still, theirs is an uphill battle of willpower and political will, notwithstanding the changing landscape of Bahamian politics that is manifesting itself.

However, it will be the resilience, fortitude, courage, and intuitive insight that have characterized and creatively energized the struggles and triumphs of Bahamian womanhood and political leadership that will be the change-making impetus that drives our nation to a political maturity, acceptance, and willingness to interdependently and collectively grow as a developing nation united towards the common goals of the preservation and promotion of freedom, equality, social justice, and economic independence for all.

Tyrone L. E. Fitzgerald is a writer, adjunct professor, arts enthusiast, and cultural creative with interests in Bahamian history, music, culture, economy, community development, and visual and performing arts.

Dr.

Courtesy of The Hair Bar Courtesy of The Tribune