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Three Queens Reign in World’s Newest Republic: Barbados

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By Dana Malcolm & Deandrea Hamilton

 

#Barbados, January 28, 2022 – Have the women of Barbados set off an unstoppable trend? Could 2022 be the Year of the Woman?  Many are nodding in absolute agreement, as increasingly pioneering women with impeccable leadership abilities and stately stances are being bestowed the confidence of their people on a national, even global level and are taking on hierarchal roles in democratic governance.

On January 19th, 2022 the Barbabos Labour Party did what observers thought it would do.  Led by the globally renowned Mia Amor Mottley, the BLP was expected to win the snap election.  However, the nearly 260,000 voters in Barbados did more that resoundingly return Mottley to prime-ministership of the republic, the voters gave her a second sweep in a general election.

All 30 seats were won; a unanimous message was sent by the electorate and the responsibility was humbly accepted, so said the second-term prime minister in the early hours of January 20 when she addressed throngs of supporters.

But we dare not digress as this feat achieved mere days ago in Barbados, goes beyond the shores of the country situated at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  It is a global milestone which bears feature and focus.

Barbados is led by a new genre of democratically installed Queens.  It is an all-female cast in upper governance of the country, which on November 30th 2021 severed the final colonial ties with Great Britain to become a Republic and a “truly” independent nation forging ahead without the Queen as Head of State.

The President of the Republic of Barbados is Dame Sandra Mason.  At 73 years old, Mason went from being the last Governor General to becoming the first president.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados is Hon Mia Amor Mottley.  At 56 years old, Mottley comes from a family with a rich political history.  The men in her family who led Barbados in a bygone era, obviously instilled within this United Nations Champion of the Earth Award winner the kind of grit which draws world leaders, award winning journalists and ceiling shattering opportunities to her court.

And the Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, is another Queen’s Counsel attorney-at-law who emerged as faithful, frugal and fair when the country needed her most.  Hon Santia Bradshaw will also lead Government business in the honourable House of Assembly, as she brilliantly staffs this previously unfilled position of deputy prime minister.

Has this been done before and is this feat capable of evoking a shift from male-dominated democracies, to women included governance which is essential to demonstrating diversity.

The gravity of the occasion forces the intrigued to take note of how much space women truly occupy in politics.

“As of 1 September 2021, there are 26 women serving as Heads of State and/or Government in 24 countries. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years,” said information by the United Nations Women, in its Facts and Figures Women’s’ Leadership and Political Participation report.

Unquestionably, the statistics for women holding seats in parliament are improving but still abysmal. In its September 2021 general elections, The Bahamas similarly charted some records as among the Caribbean region countries to hold general elections within this era when the profile of gender equality has been raised.

Compared to the 3.905 billion women alive who make up 49.58 per cent of the world’s population; “Only four countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses: Rwanda with 61 per cent, Cuba with 53 per cent, Bolivia with 53 per cent, and the United Arab Emirates with 50 per cent.” says the UN.

The women of Barbados are by no means alone in their accomplishment, countries like Trinidad and Tobago, where its president is a woman:  Paula-Mae Weekes; New Zealand, Finland, Greece, Ethiopia, Togo, Tanzania, Gabon, Singapore, Taiwan and just elected today, January 28,2022 as president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro.

From Hon Akierra Missick, who served as the Turks and Caicos Islands youngest, female Deputy Premier there was high commendation, The Hon Prime Minister’s, second resounding victory in the general elections has firm placed her in the World’s history books, a place she already rested comfortably in, but showed that despite the naysayers women in politics and leadership are well suited and prepared to push their shoulders to the wheel and get the work done for their people.”

The selection of the two women – Dame Mason and Hon Bradshaw – to stand with her in leadership of Barbados, to those looking on is another demonstration of Prime Minister Mottley’s admirable boldness.  Undoubtedly, she knew this unique appointment would not only help her to deliver on her campaign pledges to the people of Barbados, but it would upset and uproot old notions which need to go the route of colonialism, that is to be firmly placed in the Republic of Barbados’ past.

 

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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