Jamaica is the first English-speaking country in the Caribbean to achieve universal adult suffrage and grant women the right to be elected to Parliament. Between 1944 and 2020, a total of 47 women have been elected as members of the House of Representatives. As of September 2020 there are 18 women in the House of Representatives, the highest ever. This is a new all-time high at 29% and is the first time that female representation in the House of Representatives stands at more than a quarter of the total membership.

Universal Adult Suffrage

Women in Jamaica gained the right to vote in 1919, but that right was subject to property and income requirements. By 1917 there was a branch of the Women's Citizens League was established. The country was granted full adult suffrage on November 20, 1944. The new system extended voting rights to adults irrespective of their race, sex, or social class. On December 12 of the same year, Jamaica became only the third state in the British Empire to conduct elections on the basis of universal adult suffrage, preceded only by New Zealand (1893) and the United Kingdom (1918). The election was won by the

Jamaica Labour Party The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party (PNP). While its name might suggest that it is a social democratic party (as is the case for "Labour" parties in seve ...

(JLP), which claimed 22 seats; the

People’s National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a social-democratic political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as 96 of the 227 local go ...

(PNP) and the Independents won five seats each. Of the 32 new members of the Assembly, there was only one woman, Iris Collins, representing the JLP. Over the period 1944 to 1976, only 5 women had been elected to the House of Representatives: Iris Collins,

Rose Leon Rose Agatha Leon (20 October 1911 – 16 August 1999) was a Jamaican businesswoman and politician. In August 1999, she was murdered in her home. Biography Leon was born to a pharmacist, Benjamin Joseph Huie, and Adella née Murray Hui on 20 Oc ...

, Iris King,

Enid Bennett Enid Eulalie Bennett (15 July 1893 – 14 May 1969) was an Australian silent film actress, mostly active in American film. Early life Bennett was born on 15 July 1893 in York, Western Australia, the daughter of Nellie Mary Louise (''née'' Wa ...

, and

Esme Grant Esme Melbro Grant (née Muir; 20 September 1920 – 25 August 1987) was a Jamaican politician. She was one of the first women elected to the Parliament of Jamaica. Political career She was JLP candidate for Westmoreland Central in the 1962 Jam ...

Landmarks and records

Political firsts for women in the House of Representatives

* 1944: Women able to stand for Parliament. * 1944: First woman elected to Parliament - Iris Collins, ( JLP). * 1948: First woman to chair a national political party,

(JLP) * 1953: First woman Cabinet Minister -

, (JLP) - minister of health and social welfare. * 1955: First woman reelected to Parliament -

, (JLP) * 1976: First woman to represent more than one constituency -

(JLP). * 1976: First woman to cross the floor -

(from JLP to PNP). * 1976: First woman to be reelected for a third term -

(JLP),

(PNP). * 1980: First woman to be reelected for a fourth term -

(JLP). * 1983: First woman to be reelected for a fifth term -

(JLP). * 1989: First woman to be reelected for a sixth term -

(JLP). * 1994: First woman General Secretary of a major political party - Maxine Henry-Wilson (PNP). * 1997: First woman Speaker of the House of Representatives -

Violet Neilson Violet Neilson (born 16 July 1931) is a Jamaican former politician and teacher. A member of the People's National Party, she was the first female speaker in the Parliament of Jamaica, House of Representatives and the first female president of th ...

(PNP). * 2005: First woman leader of a major political party -

Portia Simpson-Miller Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller (born 12 December 1945) is a Jamaican politician. She served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from March 2006 to September 2007 and again from 5 January 2012 to 3 March 2016. She was the leader of the People's Nationa ...

(PNP). * 2006: First woman Prime Minister -

. * 2007: First woman Leader of the Opposition -

(PNP). * 2007: First woman Minister of Justice -

Dorothy Lightbourne Dorothy Lightbourne is the former Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Jamaica from September 2007 to July 2011 when she was removed by Prime Minister Bruce Golding and replaced by Delroy Chuck as Minister of Justice and by Ransfor ...

(JLP). * 2007: First woman

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

(JLP). * 2016: Proportion of women in the House of Representatives exceeds 15% for the first time. * 2016: First woman foreign Minister -

Kamina Johnson-Smith Kamina Johnson Smith is a Jamaican attorney and politician. A member of the Jamaica Labour Party, Johnson Smith is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in the second Holness cabinet. Since 2009 Johnson Smith has been a me ...

(JLP) * 2019: Proportion of women in the House of Representatives exceeds 20% for the first time. * 2020: Proportion of women in the House of Representatives exceeds 25% for the first time. * 2020: First woman to serve non-contiguous terms as Speaker of the House of Representatives -

Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert Marisa Colleen Dalrymple-Philibert is a Jamaican attorney-at-law and politician, representing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). She is the 15th and current Speaker of the House of Representatives. Early life and education Dalrymple-Philibert wa ...

(JLP).

Records

is the longest serving female MP in the history of the House of Representatives. She was MP for Saint Andrew South Western from 1976 to 1983 and from 1989 to until her retirement from active politics in 2017.

was the longest continuously-serving female MP. She was MP for St. Catherine Central from 1967 to 1976 and represented St. Catherine West Central from 1976 to 1989.

Olivia Grange Olivia "Babsy" Grange , DSE (born 27 April 1946) is a Jamaican politician. She has served as Member of Parliament for Saint Catherine Central since 1997 and as Jamaica's Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture for the duration of the Jamaica La ...

is currently the longest-serving sitting female MP in Parliament.

Historic representation

As of August 2020, there are 18 female MPs in the House of Representatives, 29% of the House. The number of female members from the Jamaica Labour Party is 14 out of 49 members, also 29%, a record for any political party, and also tied with the People's National Party (4 out of 14 members). The previous record was after the 2016 election when 12 women (19%) was elected to parliament. With the resignation of

in 2017, this number was temporarily reduced to 11. After by-elections in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

and

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, with the election of

Angela Brown-Burke Angela Rosemarie Brown-Burke is a Jamaican politician with the People's National Party. Career Brown-Burke started her political career as a Corporate Area Councillor of the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation. She was elected a vice-preside ...

and

Ann-Marie Vaz Ann-Marie Theresa Vaz (née Lyew; born 13 March 1966) is a Jamaican politician who is the Member of Parliament for the Portland Eastern constituency. Life She was born Ann-Marie Theresa Lyew on 13 March 1966 and raised in the Duff House distr ...

, respectively, the number of women in the House of Representatives rose to 13, thus exceeding 20% for the first time.

Women in the House of Representatives by election year and by party

Women Speakers of the House of Representatives

Women Attorneys-General

Women in Cabinet

Current Female Cabinet members (JLP)

– Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (Senator) *

Fayval Williams Fayval Shirley Williams (born 28 May 1958) is a Jamaican politician who is the Minister of Education, Youth and Information and the Member of Parliament for the St Andrew Eastern constituency. Williams had previously been the minister in the Mini ...

– Minister of Education, Youth and Information

Female Cabinet members after 2016 (JLP)

– Minister of Sports, Culture, Entertainment and Gender Affairs *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (Senator) *

Shahine Robinson Shahine Elizabeth Robinson (née Fakhourie; 4 July 1953 – 29 May 2020) was a Jamaican politician, who served as the Minister of Labour and Social Security. She was a member of the Parliament of Jamaica for Saint Ann North Eastern. She served ...

– Minister of Labour and Social Security *

– Minister of Science, Energy and Technology

Female MPs

References

External links

Parliament of Jamaica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Women in the House of Representatives of Jamaica Government of Jamaica * History of women in Jamaica