Trinidad and Tobago Ministers

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
(Female local suffrage 1914 (not electable), 1927 right to vote but not to stand to the Legislative Council for women with a certain income, universal suffrage 1945, though with some income-limitations until 1956). A former British Colony it became independent 1962 and a republic 1976

See also Parliament and Tobago’s Government

1961-63 Parliamentary Secretary of Local Government for Health, Water and Sanitation Isabella U. Teshea
1963-66 Parliamentary Secretary of Health
1966-70 Minister of Health and Housing
(1971-75 Minister of Education and Culture)
Vice-chairperson of People’s National Movement 1956-61, Ambassador to Ethiopia and Zambia 1970-71, Ambassador to Guyana 1974-77 and to Senegal 1975-76. She lived (1911-81)

1961-66 Parliamentary Secretary of Public Relations Vena Crichlow
1966-72 Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Premier

1972-76 Parliamentary Secretary of Works Muriel Donawa-McDavidsen
1976-78 Minister in the Ministry of Prime Minister
1978-81 Minister in the Ministry of Education and Culture
1981 Minister in the Ministry of Community Development and Local Government
1981-82 Minister in the Ministry of the Prime Minister
1982 Minister in the Ministry of Community Development and Local Government
1982 Minister in the Ministry of Finance
MP 1966-91 and lived (1929-2001)

1976-78 Parliamentary Secretary of Sports Marilyn Gordon
1978 Minister in the Ministry of Finance
1978-79 Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Trade
1979-81 Minister of Transport (Senator)
1981 Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth
1981-82 Minister of Transport
1982-85 Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth
1985 Minister of Education

1976-78 Parliamentary Secretary of Education and Culture Elmina Clarke-Allen
1978-81 Parliamentary Secretary of Industry
1981 Parliamentary Secretary of Labour
1981 Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Welfare
1981-86 Minister in the Ministry of Housing
Sometime Senator, and lived (1925-2000)

1978-79 Parliamentary Secretary of Finance Norma Lewis-Phillip
1979-81 Minister in the Ministry of Finance
1981-82 Minister of Local Government
1982 Minister in the Ministry of Health and Environment
Later – also in 2000 – Vice-Chairperson of People’s National Movement. (d. 2008).

1981-85 Parliamentary Secretary of Information Amoy Mohammed
1985-86 Parliamentary Secretary of Culture and Youth

1981-86 Minister of Information Muriel Greene

1986-87 Parliamentary Secretary of External Affairs, International Trade and Tourism Gloria Henry
1987 Parliamentary Secretary of Industry, Enterprises and Tourism
1987-91 Minister of Community Development, Welfare and the Status of Women
1990-91 Minister of Education

1987 Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities and Settlements Pamela Nicholson
1987-91 Minister of Public Utilities and Settlements
1995-98 Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs
Left the governing party in 1999 and became an independent Senator. Former MP from Tobago. 

1987-91 Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Jennifer U. Johnson
From 1991 Secretary General of National Alliance for Reconstruction.

1987 Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Welfare and the Status of Women Margaret Hector
1987-91 Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
Permanent Secretary in The Office of the Prime Minister in 1991. (d. 2003).

1990-91 Minister of Women's Affairs Eugenia Jean Pierre
1992-95 Minister of Sports and Youth

1992-95, 2002-03 and 2004-07 Minister of Community Development Joan Yuille-Williams
1992-95, 2002-04 Minister of Culture
1992-95, 2002-03 and 2004-07 Minister of Women's Affairs
2002 Acting Prime Minister
(02.07-11.07-?)
2003-07 Minister of Culture
2003 Acting Prime Minister (27.06-06.07), (in August), (05-08th of December)
2004 Acting Prime Minister (March), (August), (September) and (25.10-04.11)

Deputy Leader of the People’s National Movement
since 1996. Senator 2001-07 and Deputy Opposition Leader in 2001. Acted as government leader on numerous occations when the Prime Minister was abroad.
Special Envoy to the Government with the rank of Ambassador from 2007. (b. circa 1940-).

1991-95 Minister of Social Welfare and Consumer's Affairs Linda Baboolal
1995 Minister of Health
Chairperson of People’s National Movement 1996-2001. 2002-07 President of the Senate and Deputy Head of State and acting State-President in April, July and October 2002 and on many later occations when the President was out of the country.
There were speculations that the government would nominated her as State President in 2008, but the incumbent was re-elected.

1992-94 Minister of Information Camille Robinson-Regis
1994-95 Minister of Social Development
1994-95 Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
1995 Minister of Consumers' Affairs  
2001-
03 Minister of Legal Affairs
2003-07 Minister of Economic Planning and Development
2015- Minister of Planning and Leader of the Government Business in the House of Representatives

1994-95 Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Euralie James  
2001-03, 2004-07 Minister of State of Community Development and Gender Affairs 
2003-04
Minister of State of Culture

1995-96 Attorney General Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Second in the Cabinet)
1996-99 Minister of Legal Affairs
1999-2001 Minister of Education
2000  Acting Prime Minister (September)
2001  Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs (Second in Cabinet)
2010-15 Prime Minister
2014-15 Minister of the People and Social Development
First appointed acting premier on the absence of the Premier in September 2000. Leader of The United National Congesss and Oppostion Leader 2006-07 and 2010 and Political Leader from 2010. In 2015 her party won the majority of the popular vote but lost in terms of seats in parliament. (b. 1952-)

1996-99 Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources
1999-2001 Minister in the Ministry of Health Vimala Tota-Maharaj
Senator. (b. 1956-)

1996-2001 Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Settlements Carol Cuffy-Dowlat
Senator (b. 1957-)

1998-2001 Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Daphne Phillips-Gaskin
2001  Minister in the Ministry of Community Empowerment, Sport and Consumer Affairs responsible for Gender, Family and Consumer Affairs
2001 Acting Prime Minister

After she lost her seat in the Lower House in the elections, the Prime Minister re-appointed her as senator and Junior Minister but the President initially refused to accept her and other loosing candidates’ appointment to the government, but in the end the President gave in and she and the other ministers were re-appointed. (b. 1944-)

2001 Minister in the Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources Dr. Jennifer Jones-Kernahan
2001 Ministry of Food Production and Marine Resources

2001 Minister of Transport, Tourism and Tobago Affairs Jearlean John
Senator and single and mother of a daughter. (b. 1960-)

2001 Cabinet Secretary Zaida Rapnauth

2001-03 Attorney General Senator Glenda Morean (Second in Cabinet)
Ambassador to
United Kingdom with accreditation also to Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany from 2003.

2001-07 Minister of Education Hazel Manning
2007-10 Minister of Local Government
Married to Patrick Manning, who was Prime Minister 2001-10.

2001-02 Minister of Culture and Tourism Eudine Job-Davis
2004-05 Minister of State of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs

2001-02 Minister for Social Development, Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs and Health and Minister in charge of policy planning and research development for the social sector 
2002-03 Minister of Culture and Tourism
2003-07 Minister of Public Utilities and Environment Penelope Beckles
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative 2007-10, Leader of Opposition Business the Senate 2010-13 and appointed Ambassador to the UN in 2016. (b. 1961-).


2001-02 Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs Donna Carter

2002-03 Minister of State of Trade and Industry Diane Seukeran
2003-04 Minister of State of Social Development and Gender Affairs
2004-07 Minister of State of Trade and Industry

2002-05 Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Christine Kangaloo
2005-07 Minister of Legal Affairs and Consumer Affairs
2007-10 Minister of
Science, Technology and Tertiary Education
Vice-President of the Senate in 2002 and twice acting President of the Chamber and President from 2015.


2004-07 Minister in the Ministry of Finance for Revenue Christine Sahadeo

2007-09 Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George
Speaker of the House of Representatives

2007-10 Minister of Foreign Affairs Paula Gopee-Scoon
2015- Minister of Trade and Leader of the Government Business in the Senate

2007-10 Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira

2007-10 Minister of Education Esther Le Gendre

2007-10 Minister of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Culture Marlene Mac Donald
2015- Minister of Housing

2007-10 Minister of Planning, Housing and Environment Dr. Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde
Senator

2007-08 Minister of State of Community Development Donna Cox
2008-10 Minister of State of National Security

2007-10 Minister of State of Social Development Alicia Hospedales 

2007-10 Minister of State of Planning, Housing and the Environment Tina Gronlund-Nunez

2010-12 Minister of Energy Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan
2012-15 Minister of Public Administration

2010-11 Minister of Health Therese B Cornelis

2010-11 Minister of  Planning and Gender Affairs Mary K. King

2010-12 Minister of Tobago Development Vernella Alleyne-Toppin
2012-15 Minister of State of the People and Social Development

2010-12 Parliamentary Secretary for Sports Stacy Roopnarine
2012-15 Minister in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure
2015 Minister of State in the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development
MP from 2010. (b. 1984-)

2010-12 Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Culture Nela Khan
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2012.

2010-12 Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Gender affairs Ramona Ramdial
2012-15 Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources

2011-12 Minister of Youth, Child Development and Gender Affairs Verna St Rose Greaves

2011-12 Parliamentary Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Communications Nicole Dyer-Griffith

2012-13 Minister of Youth, Child Development and Gender Affairs Marlene Coudray
2013-15 Minister of Local Government
Deputy Political Leader of the United National Congress

2012-13 Minister of Justice Christlyn Moore
Senator 2012-13

2013-15 Minister in the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development Raziah Ahmed

2015 Minister of Social Development and the People Christine Nawal Hosein

2015- Minister of Social Development Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn

2015- Minister of Tourism Shamfa Cudjoe

2015- Minister of Energy Nicole Olivierre

2015- Minister of Labour Jennifer Baptiste-Primus2

2015- Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy


Last update 10.10.16