1.
CARIBBEAN
WOMEN
OF
POLITICAL
DISTINCTION
ST.
CROIX,
USVI
SATURDAY
OCTOBER
18,
2014
The necessity for female or women candidates to promote themselves or one another as women
will one day disappear.
To the extent that a forum such as this finds itself on a campaign calendar, tells us that we –
women politicians – have some distance to go – some more barriers to dismantle, before we
realize a semblance of gender equity in the distribution of power in the political sphere.
Our very presence here and participation, belie any notion of gender balance in political
representation or elective politics. As much as we may want to applaud the strides that have been
made – and our respective or collective success as women – there is a subconscious awareness –
that we are still ABERRATIONS – exceptions to the norm!!!
I must confess, while I acknowledge the importance of hosting and participating in conferences
such as this, I wonder to what extent that my very involvement/participation, can be deemed a
subconscious acceptance, that I as a woman – find myself in a space that I do not naturally
belong to, or that I have chosen a profession that does not see women as natural aspirants; And
whether inadvertently, I am subscribing to a non-truth about my own strength and capacity as a
human being albeit – as a WOMAN!
A few years ago, while lecturing at the University of the West Indies, at the St. Augustine
Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, a visiting Afro-American male professor asked me, “Dr.
Rigobert how do you feel as a black, female lecturer on this Campus?” I was well into my career
as an academic, and suddenly at that moment, thanks to the provocation of his question, I
realized – Oh My God. I am black, a university professor, and incidentally female – and it
dawned on me, it was either I had NO self-awareness, or I had rejected ethnic and gender
ascriptions to the point, that I was completely unaware that – YES – I was black – female and a
university lecturer! And that for some inexplicable reason, my experience in a university
environment, should pique any one’s curiosity.
You see – this also reminds me of a caucasian European professor, who one evening, while at
Cambridge University, asked me “How do you feel as a minority here at Cambridge?” Without
winking and in less than a heartbeat, my response very simply was, “Sir, the term minority
makes no socio-psychological sense to me”.
Brothers and sisters – I have a very profound suspicion, that such labels or ascriptions are the
construct of an intellectual hegemonic discourse – a lexicon – that is not meant to empower, but
rather to suppress, oppress, devalue and disempower, and I have violently rejected any such
ascriptions.
So, every time I am invited to speak – as a female politician – and to share my experiences as a
woman politician – I chuckle, smile and I do have to think really hard; because I don’t wake up
on a morning thinking – ahhhhhhhhh – I am a woman, and a politician; And that the universe
should afford me any privileges because of that!!!
Dr.
Gale
T
C
Rigobert
Caribbean
Women
of
Political
Distinction
October,
2014

2.
Or, conversely that the universe will be particularly cruel to me – BECAUSE I am a female
politician.
By now, some of you must be thinking – what utter NAIVETY!
Oh No. On the contrary…
A very prominent and successful black actor was once asked, “How do you feel as or for being
known as one of the most successful black actors?” He immediately responded – “I am – and
will be remembered as one of the most successful actors.” FULL STOP.
We must appreciate that when these prefixes, like – black or female are attached to us –
especially when we are doing well in our chosen fields of endeavor, it is almost as if there is an
underlying suggestion that the criteria have been revised or the bar has been lowered to
accommodate us.
Curiously, at the last national elections in Saint Lucia – in November 2011, in my constituency –
Micoud North, I was one of three female candidates contesting the elections. I beat the other 2,
and won. I always wonder whether the news headlines would have read differently had I won / or
beat 2 other men / or another man! The news simply reported that I had emerged the winner in a
three way fight – against 2 other women. Who knows, had they been men – the news might have
been punctuated with all kinds of superlatives / and adjectives like formidable and indomitable -
but I had simply beat 2 other women, so what!!!
You and I / we, female politicians can enjoy the privilege of being in public office, because
generations of women before us lost their lives, suffered abuse, embarrassment, humiliation,
shed blood, invested sweat and tears, so that we could be here today.
What are we doing to ensure that the next generation of female politicians do not have to
confront the epistemological barriers / the psychological hurdles that characterize the paths to
higher political office?
Do we become so imprisoned by the very parameters / boundaries that have been set, that our
own political survival and success assume greatest priority and we inadvertently neglect to make
very tangible provisions for future generations – or that we begin to display symptoms of the
Stockholm syndrome – and forget that there is a greater freedom for which we must fight and we
should never become comfortable with the terms and conditions that are set.
And that while the view from the top of the ladder – spectacular, and breath taking as it may be –
does little for human kind – or woman kind – if you are up there alone.
And never shall your legacy be – that you were – the first – or only woman to have done “such
and such”. The hallmark of a true leader is that he/she would have replicated him or herself
several times over, so that good succession is assured.
Dr.
Gale
T
C
Rigobert
Caribbean
Women
of
Political
Distinction
October,
2014

3.
That you, we, shall never be threatened by, scorn, discourage or dismiss fellow women who
evidently can beat you/us at our game. In fact, that is precisely what any good teacher or role
model would want and that is – for your protégés, apprentices – those who follow in your stead –
to be several times better than you ever were!
Our goal is to ensure that we would have molded enough women in the Caribbean, in the
Western hemisphere, in our respective jurisdictions – that political parties would not feel
pressured to have poster girls like you and me – but that women in higher office, women in
elective politics would become part of the political staple – and so a conference such as this will
be rendered redundant, unnecessary and obsolete! Because I do not see the men hosting any
conference entitled “Caribbean Men of Political Distinction”
Women, we ourselves need to revise our own understanding of the “specialness” of woman. That
which is special about you – contrary to much of what we’ve been taught – is that, there is an
inexplicable innate strength, understanding, compassion, resilience, tenacity, pragmatism, and
sensitivity that predispose you to being a fine and successful politician – because those
characteristics are embedded in your womb and no one can take them away from you.
Use your womanhood as a source of strength – it is NOT a handicap.
Together, we must reject, refute and breakdown the socio-linguistic framework that seeks to
define woman in such a way that suggests that women are better suited for certain professions
more so than others!
v Fellow women, we should not be deterred by the derogatory ways in which we are
described by the sexist and offensive language they use in an attempt to diminish us.
v The psychological and emotional traps should be a thing of the past. Shake off the
shackles that seek to restrain us and deny us and the world the benefit of our talent
strength and input. Disassemble, refute and debunk misconstrued notions of who we
really are.
v Our compassion must not be misrepresented as weakness. Our deliberate and carefully
considered intervention must not be deemed as indecision or being slow to act.
v Our desire for comprehensive, well-thought out, multifaceted approaches that are all
inclusive, especially of the marginalized, dispossessed and the voiceless – must not be
comically re-played as a pointless quest for sainthood.
v Our bodies and sexuality are not a preface to every conversation – in fact there is no
place for it in the conversation; and access to or quantum of resources available for
campaigns and other social programmes must never be a function of, nor hinge on our
feminity.
v And most importantly – we are Nobody’s poster girl. You / we are not to be the token
female – which affords our party the excuse of being all embracing of women.We are to
Dr.
Gale
T
C
Rigobert
Caribbean
Women
of
Political
Distinction
October,
2014

4.
ensure that we are equal participants, with equal stake, well positioned to offer equal if
not better representation, with equal access to the higher echelons of our party.
I am nobody’s poster girl!!!
You are nobody’s poster girl!!!
We are all beautiful people – imbued with certain qualities that are no less than that which may
reside within our male counterparts.
So, as you leave here – Recalibrate your thinking about yourselves, your capacities, and your
rightful place in the world.
I wish all of you tremendous success as you tap into your womanhood and give shape and
definition to the world in which we live.
I thank you.
Dr.
Gale
T
C
Rigobert
Caribbean
Women
of
Political
Distinction
October,
2014