Georgianna Kathleen Symonette (4 April 1902 – 14 May 1965) a Bahamian

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

, was the founding chairwoman of the Women's Branch of the

Progressive Liberal Party The Progressive Liberal Party (abbreviated PLP) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Philip Davis is the leader of the party. History The PLP was founded in 1953 by William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson, and Henry Milton Tay ...

and founding member of the Women's Suffrage Movement. In 2012, The Bahamian government issued a series of postage stamps to honor the women who campaigned to gain universal adult suffrage. Symonette appeared on the 25 cent stamp.

Early life and education

Georgianna Kathleen Symonette was born on 4 April 1902 in

Wemyss Bight Wemyss Bight (6 April 1990 – 15 April 2009) was a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, broodmare. She was successful in her only start as a two-year-old in 1992 and developed into a top-class midd ...

Eleuthera Eleuthera () refers both to a single island in the archipelagic state of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas and to its associated group of smaller islands. Eleuthera forms a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The island of Eleuthera incorporates the ...

, to Olivia McKinney and Alexander Symonette. Symonette attended the government school in Wemyss Bight. After Symonette finished her schooling, she was an assistant teacher there. Symonette relocated to

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...

to pursue nursing as a career at Bahamas General Hospital (now called Princess Margaret Hospital).

Suffragist

Along with Mary Ingraham, Eugenia Lockhart and Mabel Walker, Symonette founded the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Later life, recognition, death

Symonette died aged 63 on 14 May 1965. Her son Clement Maynard was the Deputy Prime Minister of The Bahamas from 1985 to 1992, and Symonette's granddaughter

Allyson Maynard Gibson The Hon. Allyson Maynard Gibson KC (born 11 January 1957)Calvin Harris"Behind the scenes on Bahamian documentary, "On the Wings of Men" with Senator Allyson Maynard Gibson" TheBahamasWeekly.com, 1 September 2010. is a Bahamian barrister, politici ...

assumed the position of Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs in 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symonette, Georgianna Kathleen 1902 births 1965 deaths Bahamian suffragists 20th-century Bahamian women politicians 20th-century Bahamian politicians People from Eleuthera