Caribbean Review: Cora Richardson-Hodge's Victory For Anguillan Premier is A Significant Step For Women In Caribbean Politics
Earlier this year, Cora Richardson-Hodge and the Anguilla United Front (AUF) unseated the ruling Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM) in a decisive victory. Richardson-Hodge is the island's first female Premier and was elected to help fix critical issues of rising crime levels, cost of living, and tourist development. Many see Richardson-Hodge's victory as a significant step for gender equality across the Caribbean.
Richardson-Hodges became the first female prime minister of Anguilla on February 26, 2025; she is a seasoned lawyer and a former leader of the opposition party in Anguilla. She brings these two decades of legal and political experience to her new role as prime minister. In this latest election, women and youth were particularly engaged in the cycle, compared to previous years. She has become an outspoken advocate for women’s political leadership in Anguilla and the Caribbean and argues that her victory shows even small territories can embrace change. “This is not just a personal victory, but a victory for every young girl in Anguilla who now knows that she too can lead,” said Richardson-Hodge.
The first female political leader in the Caribbean was Prime Minister of Dominica from 1980-1995, Eugenia Charles, who advocated for Caribbean sovereignty and economic independence and was known as the “Iron Lady of the Caribbean”. Charles faced backlash and sexism from adversaries while she served. In 1981, she faced two coups d’état attempts, one within Dominica and one with hired Canadian and American mercenaries affiliated with white supremacists and Ku Klux Klan groups. The coup within Dominica was organized by high-ranking military officials and resulted in the death of a police officer and the execution of all orchestrators. The other coup, codenamed Operation Red Dog, was thwarted by American federal agents in New Orleans, Louisiana.
She faced opposition for her trailblazing for women in politics. She was insulted for being single and childless by male politicians. Her empathy and compassion were questioned due to her lack of children, with some citizens stating she couldn’t understand their pain if she had never given birth. Her appearance was attacked as well, but she usually responded with wit to these critiques, and held a stance that her gender was not relevant in her capabilities as a politician.
In 1997, Janet Jagan became the first female president of Guyana and was the co-founder of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). She advocated for social justice, press freedom, and women ‘s rights. Portia Simpson Miller was elected as the first woman to be the prime minister of Jamaica in 2006. She pushed for more care and focus on poor and marginalized communities and inspired countless women in Jamaica and beyond to pursue public service.
Today, Premier Richardson-Hodge is among a group of other Caribbean female political leaders. This includes Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Jamaican Minister of Finance Fayval Williams, Leader of the Opposition of Grenada Emmalin Pierre, and the Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Some shared primary focuses amongst these leaders include growing the impact of women in Caribbean politics, the pursuit of sustainable growth and development, social initiatives, social justice, political reforms, and economic growth.
Some other Caribbean female political leaders who were either provisional or temporary include Lucina da Costa Gomez-Matheeuws, the interim Prime Minister of the Dutch Antilles for ten days in October 1977, President Ertha Pascal-Trouillot, the first female president of Haiti and the first female president of African descent in the Americas who served for 11 months, and Claudette Werleigh, the first prime minister of Haiti who served for 112 days.
Some patriarchal gender roles are still predominant in the Caribbean. Domestic issues, lower income, and limited access to education and employment in the region continue to oppress women. Feminism in the Caribbean prioritizes diversity and intersectionality amongst all women in the region and differs between the different cultures across nations.
The growing movement for women in Caribbean politics is becoming a beacon for more representation and rights for women, and is empowering groups to pursue politics, gender equality, and social services. Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge and her victory in Anguilla have become another win for women in Caribbean politics, and global politics. Progressively, more women around the world are running for positions in politics and being elected. Out of the island’s population of around 15,900, there were 12,432 registered voters, showing a rise in political engagement in Anguilla. Richardson-Hodge’s mission to empower and inspire women both in Anguilla and the region is making waves and shows no signs of stopping.
