The small island country of Barbados celebrated a huge win for women when it elected its first female prime minister on May 25.
Mia Mottley, a lawyer and the head of the Barbados Labour Party, is the first woman to lead the nation since it gained its independence from Britain 52 years ago.
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"This is not my victory. This is not the Labour Party's victory,” Mottley said after learning her party had won the election. “This is the people of Barbados' victory.”
The 52-year-old not only made history last week, she also achieved a life-long dream. As a secondary school student, Mottley reportedly told her teacher that she would become Barbados’ first female prime minister one day.
Mottley championed democracy and greater government transparency during her campaign.
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"This must be our legacy to the people of Barbados: to give you back your government and your governance," Mottley said in her victory speech.
And the people of Barbados, including singer and Global Citizen Rihanna, couldn’t be happier.
Congratulations to #MiaMottley on becoming Barbados' first woman Prime Minister. Wishing her a successful tenure in this new capacity!
— Hon. Kamina J Smith (@kaminajsmith) May 25, 2018
What a day for women/gender minorities in the former colonies yesterday! Irish women/gender minorities claimed their abortion rights and Barbados saw its first woman sworn in as Prime Minister!
— Shuri Dirty Computer Prescod-Weinstein🙅🏽♀️ 🇧🇧 (@IBJIYONGI) May 26, 2018
I am so proud of my Barbados. We are ushering in a new dawn and we have elected our first female Prime Minister. ❤️❤️
— CHEN🦋FENTY (@chenxfen) May 25, 2018
Barbados has their first female prime minister!!! The future is a bad gyal😛😛😛 all my Bajan brothers and sisters rejoice!!! 🇧🇧 pic.twitter.com/6Y7jVC7SOc
— Tî🥃 (@EterniTI_) May 26, 2018
After tough economic times, #Barbados has ushered in change and voted its first female prime minister, #MiaMottley, in a decisive win for the BLP party.
— Jacqueline Charles (@Jacquiecharles) May 25, 2018
To become Barbados' first female Prime Minister is already a great victory but to also lead your entire party undefeated, securing every single constituency is amazing! C'mon Mia 👏🏾
— krishtun (@krishtun_) May 25, 2018
Mottley may be the first woman to lead Barbados, but she’s not the first female head of a Caribbean country. Eugenia Charles was the first woman to claim that honor in 1980 when she became the prime minister of Dominica. Still, Mottley is just the fifth woman in the English-speaking Caribbean region to be elected to a head of government position, according to HuffPost.
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