Jamaica Ministers

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership 
Jamaica (Female suffrage 1919/44) Spanish Colony 1509-1655, British Colony from 1670 till it became independent 1962

Also seeJamaica Heads for Queen and Deputies to the Governor General, and Jamaica Parliament

1953-60 Minister of Health and Labour Rose Agatha Leon
1972-76 Minister of Local Government
1976-80 Special Advisor of the Minister of Social Affairs
Chairperson of Jamaica Labour Party 1948-60, Deputy Mayor of Kingston 1971-72. She was killed in her home by burgulars, and lived (1919-99)

1962-70 Parliamentary Secretary of Education Esmé M. Grant
1970-74 Parliamentary Secretary of Labour and National Insurance
Senator.

1974 Parliamentary Secretary of Education Fay E. Saunders
Senator in 1974.

1972-80 Parliamentary Secretary of Health and Environment Dr. Mavis Gilmour-Petersen
1980-86 Minister of Education (The Hon.)
1986-87 Minister of Social Security and Consumer Affairs
(b. 1926-)

1976-80 Minister of Education Dr. Phyllis Macpherson-Russel

1976-82 Minister of State for Women's Affairs Carmen McGregor

1976-82 Parliamentary Secretary of the Prime Minister Portia Lucretia F. Simpson-Miller
1989-2000 Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Sports
2002-02
Minister of Tourism and Sport with responsibilities for Entertainment and Gender Issues
2002-06 Minister of
Local Government, Community Development
2002-07 Minister of Sports
2002 Acting Prime Minister
2003 Acting Prime Minister (October and November)
2004 Acting Prime Minister (May)
2006-07 Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Women's Affairs

2012-
16 Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Development, Information and Sports
Portia Simpson Miller has been MP since 1976, Deputy President of People's National Party 1978-2006,
Party Spokesperson on Women’s affairs, Pension, Social Security and Consumer Affairs 1983-89, Candidate for the party leadership and Premiership in 1992 and in february 2006 she was elected President of the Party, Oppostition Leader 2007-12 and from 2016. (b. 1946-).

1976-80 Parliamentary Secretary of Community Councils Gladys Ellington
Senator.

1976-80 Parliamentary Secretary of Student’s Affairs Dawn Lindo-Williams
Senator.

1980-87 Parliamentary Secretary of Education Euphemia A. Williams
Senator.

1982-89 Minister of State of Local Government Enid Bennett
1987 Minister of State of Social Security and Consumer Affairs
Deputy Leader of Jamaica Labour Party 1978-83 and 1998-99. (b. 1931-)

1982-86 Parliamentary Secretary of Youth and Community Development Princess May Lawes
Labour Senator 1976-80, MP 1980-89. (b. 1944-).

1983-87 Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Olivia Grange
1987 Minister of State of Prime Minister's Office (Information)
2007-11 Minister of Information
2007-12 Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
2016- Minister of Entertainment, Sports, Culture and Gender Affairs
Known as "Babsy" Grange, she was detained during the 1976-State of Emergency and went into exile in Canada until 1980, Senator 1983-89, MP from 1997 and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1997-2003. (b. 1946-).

1986-89 Minister of State of Foreign Affaiirs, Foreign Trade and Industry Jeanette Grant-Woodham
Deputy President 1981-83 and President of the Senate 1984-86.

1986-91 Parliamentary Secretary of Local Government Marjorie Taylor
1991-95 Minister of State of Labour, Welfare and Sports
1995-97 Minister of State of Local Government, Youth and Sports
1997-99 Minister of State of Health
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (Micahel Manley) In 1979-86 and Ambassador and Special Envoy for Children from 1999.

1986-89 Parliamentary Secretary of Production, Devlopment and Planning Violet Nielson
1989-91 Parliamentary Secretary of Health
Deputy Speaker 1991-97 and Speaker of The House of Representatives
1997-2003.

1989-92 Minister of State of External Affairs Dr. Lucille Mathurin Maric
Ambassador to Cuba 1975-78 and Assistant Secretary General of the UN Decade for Women 1981-86 and later Senator and
Ambassador to the United Nations 1992-97.

1989 Parliamentary Secretary of Information and Culture Donna Scott-Bhoorasingh
Deputy President of the Senate circa 1986-89 and Permanent Secretary of Information and Culture 1992-94.

1991-93 Minister of State by the Prime Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson
1993-94 Minister of State of Finance
1994-2001 Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Government Business in the Senate
2000-01 Minister of Information
2006-06 Minister of Culture
2002-07 Minister of Education and Youth
Secretary General of People’s National Party from 2004.

1993-97 Parliamentary Secretary of Youth and Community Development Heather Robinson

1993-97 Parliamentary Secretary of Environment and Housing Phyllis Mitchell
1997-99 Minister of State of Education, Youth and Culture
1999-2001 Minister of State of Environment

1994-97 Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Patricia Durrant
Ambassador to the United Nations from 1997.

2002 Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture Jennifer Edwards

2002-06 Minister of Industry and Tourism Aloun N'dombet Assamba
2006-07 Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture

2002-06 Minister of State of Finance and Planning Deika Morrison
Senator.

2007-11 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dorothy Lightbourne
Attorney since 1973, Deputy President of Senate 1989-2002, Deputy Chairperson of the Jamaica Labour Party and Shadow Minister for the Jamaica Labour Party around 1999

2007-11 Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister
with responsibility for the Constituency Development Fund Shahine Robinson
2011-12 Minister without portfolio for Local Government
2016- Minister of Labour and Social Security

2009-12 Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Marlene Malahoo-Forte
2016- Attorney General
Senator since 2009. Chairperson of the Women's Leadership Initiative.

2012-16 Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna

2012-16 Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Sports Natalie Neita-Headley

2012-16 Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Information Sandrea Falconer
Senator from 2007.

2012-16 Minister of State of Industry, Investment and Commerce Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams

2016- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith
Senator from 2011.

2016- Minister of State of Finance and Planning Fayval Williams
Senator from 2016.

 

Last update 08.03.16