Caricom Triennial Award for Women - Honouring Women of Distinction 1984-2002

1. Ms. Nesta Patrick – Trinidad & Tobago

It was most likely that Nesta Patrick, first recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women, accepted the Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) conferred on her by the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine in 2001 with characteristic, humility and pride. This marked another milestone in the accomplished life of Ms Patrick, acclaimed women’s rights activist, social worker and advocate for the recognition of the mentally challenged. To be singled out as the first Caribbean woman to be honored for outstanding contribution to the region is a testimony to her remarkable sphere of influence and impact on the lives of women and children throughout the Caribbean.

Ms Patrick’s early passion for social work and the social development of individuals inspired her pursuit of tertiary education, which spanned the West Indies, Europe and North America. She attended the UWI in its formative years as the University College of the West Indies, in Mona, Jamaica and subsequently proceeded to the University of Bristol and Wales in the United Kingdom. These institutions provided the opportunity for her to receive professional training in Social Work, Child Care, Social Development and Policy Planning. Being raised in a family which valued education and which espoused personal achievement, Ms. Patrick broadened her university experience to include Columbia University and Pace University in the United States from which she graduated with a B.A and MBA in Professional Studies respectively.

Her participation in the first World Conference on Women held in Mexico in 1975 provided the stimulus for a life dedicated to public service and advancing the social and economic development of women. Working for and with the mentally challenged was an immense source of satisfaction and joy for her, translating into an unprecedented commitment to serving their interest and maintaining their placement in the public and regional agenda. She served as President of the Caribbean Mental Retardation Association. The Caribbean Women’s Association (CARIWA) owes its existence to the pioneering work of Nesta Patrick and her fellow co-founders. Retirement is no deterrent to her loyalty and dedication to the condition of women and children. She still contributes her time and experience at the Rape Crisis Centre in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and working with youth.

Nesta Patrick is a true model of excellence and inspiration for all Caribbean women. Her outstanding career and lifetime achievements merited several honours and awards including the Government of Trinidad and Tobago National Award Public Service Medal of Merit for Community Service bestowed on her in 1979; the Caribbean Award for Mental Retardation in 1978 and the Awqard for Community Service by the Business and Professional Women’s Club in 1992.

Nesta Patrick’s dream is the attainment of a more even gender balance in society and she admonishes the region’s “educated progressive men and women” to become involved and committed in order to create a gender balance that is lacking in our society.

2. Dame Ruth Nita Barrow - Barbados

In any consideration of exceptional women of the Caribbean, the name Dame Nita Barrow, second recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award, assumes much significance. A distinguished and highly celebrated Caribbean citizen, the late Dame Ruth Nita Barrow gave extraordinary service to Barbados, her country of birth, and the region as a whole and is revered as one of the outstanding regional leaders of all time.

Dame Nita Barrow’s calling to service in the health care field commenced with a career in nursing, one of the few options open to young women in her time. From nursing to health care administration she progressed to a remarkable and illustrious career in Public Health and Health Education which transported her into the spotlight of the international arena. Her appointment in 1964 as Nursing Adviser to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and subsequently to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) availed her the wonderful opportunity to serve the Region she loved as principal adviser to sixteen Caribbean governments and sparked off a long productive career in the UN System. Dame Barrow was recognized internationally as an authority on Public Health and Health Education, producing several publications on issues pertaining to health care. The scholastic career of this eminent daughter of the Caribbean included graduate degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Edinborough.

A strong Christian and daughter of an Anglican Priest, Dame Barrow lived a spiritually anchored life, pursuing the provision of adequate health care out of her deep concern for the welfare of humanity. She was appointed Director of the Christian Medical Commission on the World Council of Churches in 1975. Dame Barrow is acclaimed for her active involvement in and strong advocacy for women’s rights, particularly the right to adequate health care. Through service within the United Nations and other engagements of her international career she consistently represented the condition of women and disadvantaged groups with the hope of alleviating manifestations of poverty in their daily lives. Participation in activities to mark the UN Decade for Women and her appointment as Director of the Global Forum for Women generated further opportunities for Dame Barrow to advocate and provide leadership in the interest of women.

Dame Nita Barrow earned a stellar reputation in her career in the diplomatic community. From 1989 – 1990 she functioned as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the UN, a prelude to her appointment as Governor-General of Barbados from 1990 – 1995. Dame Barrow’s life of dedicated service accorded her the honour of representation on numerous international bodies including several UN Groupings on the environment and as a Member of the Earth Council. In recognition of her life of exemplary leadership and service to the region’s women and its peoples in general Dame Barrow has the distinction of being the first Caribbean woman to be accorded membership of the Order of the Caribbean Community in 1994. Other awards deservedly granted in the service of others include the Caribbean Prize for Peace Through Struggle for Justice in 1986. She was honoured as Dame of St. Andrew and Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George.

3. Dr. Peggy Antrobus – St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Dr. Peggy Antrobus, third recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award in 1990, has a true Caribbean cross-national identity. She was born in Grenada, acquired citizenship of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and now resides in Barbados. Her vast and much recognized work and contributions in the area of women’s affairs has earned her respect, admiration and acclaim both regionally and internationally. In preparation for a lifetime of service to the region that can, at the least, be described as illustrious and exceptional, Dr. Antrobus pursued studies in Economics and at the Bristol University in the United Kingdom and in Social Work at the Birmingham University. Her Ph. D in education was obtained from the University of Massachusetts.

The multifaceted and distinguished career record of Dr. Antrobus tells of a legendary advocate for women’s development whose wide ranging professional endeavours and experiences have been used to positively influence the course of women’s development in the Caribbean. Following a stint of service at the Jamaica Ministry of Finance in 1958, Dr. Antrobus assumed office as an Assistant Registrar at UWI, later transferring to academia as lecturer in economics, sociology and social work, contributing to the university’s academic prestige. Her career path led her to serve in multiple capacities within the Region and internationally with appointments which include: Chief Community Development Officer for St. Vincent (1969-1970), Director, Women’s Bureau, Office of the Prime Minister, Jamaica (1974-1977), Secretary, Caribbean Coordinating Committee on Women’s Affairs (1977-78), Tutor-Coordinator, Women and Development Unit (WAND) UWI Cave Hill (1978-1995). Consultant to UNIFEM (1998-99), Co-sponsor with Centre of Concern, Washington DC for Strategic Planning Seminar on Gender and Trade (1998-2000). Several International agencies including CIDA, UNDP and UNIFEM benefited from her expert knowledge as a consultant.

As a member of numerous boards, advisory and steering committees among which are the International Women’s Tribune Centre, U.S.A. the Global Fund for Women, U.S.A., the Grenada Education and Development Programme, Meridians, a new inter-disciplinary feminist journal in the USA, the Structural Adjustment Review Initiative Network (SAPIN) Washington D.C. she shared her expertise and worked diligently to serve the interests of women and the region.

Through her service and enthusiastic leadership she forged new territory for women as an instrumental founding member of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) and Development alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN). She contributed to the vitality of DAWN functioning as its General Coordinator from 1990-1996. She has written and published extensively on issues pertinent to the role of women and their development.

The CARICOM Triennial Award is among several prestigious honours and awards bestowed on this extraordinary Caribbean woman. A select few are the Distinguished Service Award from the UWI Guild of Graduates for outstanding contributions to the development of women in the Caribbean and for commitment to Third World Feminism in 1990; the “Women Who Dared Award” from the national Black Women’s Health Project in 1993; the UNIFEM Anniversary Award “for extraordinary commitment to the world’s women” 1995 and the UWI 50th Anniversary Award “For Contribution to the Work of the University” 1998.

4. Ms.Magda Lois Muriel Pollard - Guyana

Magda Lois Muriel Pollard, national of Guyana, and stalwart women’s activist was fittingly bestowed the honour of the fourth CARICOM Triennial Award for Women in 1993. Throughout her country of birth and the wider Caribbean region, the name Magda Pollard is synonymous with the movement for women’s empowerment and women’s rights. The creation of a liberating and sustaining environment for women is the passion which fuels her lifelong and consistent service in the arena of women’s development.

Ms.Pollard commenced her career in the field of Home Economics, pursuing this endeavour to the university level and earning a degree in Home Economics from the Glasgow University and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science in the United Kingdom. A significant part of her post University years were spent on return to her home land at the Carnegie School of Home Economics as both lecturer and Principal. Her appointment as the first Women’s Affairs Officer at the CARICOM Secretariat opened vast opportunities for her to impact the lives, not only of Guyanese women, but women throughout the Region. With boldness, she accepted the challenge of spearheading the development of a programme for women within CARICOM. The many initiatives and programmes that emanated from the Women’s Desk gave impetus to the process of gender mainstreaming within CARICOM and set the agenda for the integration of actions and policies to benefit women in regional programmes.

Ms.Pollard’s invaluable contribution to women’s development in the Caribbean captured regional attention and earned her several honours and awards in addition to the CARICOM Triennial Award. She has received the 1992 CARIFESTA Award for Women, two national awards, the Cacique Crown of Honour and the Golden Arrowed of Achievement as well as the special award of the Caribbean Association of Home Economists of which she was a founding member.

Her career of service extends to membership of various commissions and bodies with women’s welfare as the primary goal and she is currently Chairperson of the Guyana National Commission on Women. Ms Pollard was at the helm of a regional project to prepare model legislation for the removal of all forms of discrimination against women which addressed rights of citizenship, inheritance, domestic violence and sexual offences. Significant hallmarks of her career included her contribution to the establishment of focal points in government departments to address the issue of the advancement of women. During her tenure she organised for the creation of Women’s Bureaus in the PECS. Ms Pollard spearheaded a three-year programme – Management for Development: Effecting Change whose target included senior women administrators. Her illustrious career spans participation in the emerging network among UN specialized agencies, representation at various regional and UN Fora; and the creation of inroads in strengthening relations between governments and non-governmental organizations. She has to her credit two publications on Home Economics, which she has co-authored.

A woman of grace and dignity, Magna Pollard is highly regarded by her peers and the wider community. Her continued active engagement in work to raise the level of consciousness about the status of women and to engender necessary reform attests to a deep and unswerving life commitment to creating a better environment within which women would live.

5. Hon. Dr. Lucille Mathurin Mair O.J. – Jamaica

Dr. Lucille Mathurin Mair is undoubtedly a Caribbean citizen of great intellectual stature and high international repute and of whom all the Caribbean is proud. For her outstanding service as a diplomat, scholar and women’s rights activist she was accorded the highly deserved honour of fifth recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award in 1996.

In response to her career urgings, Dr. Mair left her country of birth, Jamaica, to pursue a degree in History at the London University from which she graduated with Honours. On return to the Caribbean she obtained a Ph. D in History at the University of the West Indies. Dr. Mair has had a long and rewarding association with the UWI serving as Lecturer, first Warden of the Women’s Hall of Residence and in her post retirement years as the first head of its Women and Development Programme. She was instrumental in the establishment and success of this programme. Dr. Mair has been hailed as a highly esteemed international diplomatic figure serving prestigiously as Assistant Secretary-General in the office of the United Nations Secretary in 1979, from which she performed with distinction the role of Secretary-General of the World Conference on the United Nations Decade for Women in 1980. The admirable record of international service of her career includes appointment as the Secretary-General’s Advisor to UNICEF on Women’s Development and Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Palestine from 1982 to 1987.

Dr. Mair’s service at the national level was no less distinctive. The Jamaican government sought her expertise for guidance on developing policies, measures and programmes intended to advance the status of its women and to integrate them fully in the process of development. She functioned as a public servant in several positions, as first Advisor on Women’s Affairs and head of the Jamaican Information Service in 1974 and a Deputy Head of Jamaica’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in 1975. Dr. Mair was subsequently appointed as Jamaica’s Ambassador to Cuba. In a second round of service to the Jamaica government, she was appointed a Senator and Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in 1992 was appointed to the substantive post of Permanent Representative for Jamaica to the United Nations. In spite of her rigorous diplomatic and other professional engagements Dr Mair, remarkably, was able to serve as member of or representative on several international and regional boards and committees including the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Council in Canada, the Population Council (U.S.A.) and the International Conference on Apartheid in Nigeria. She worked with diligence to impact in positive ways the lives of women in the Caribbean as a regional coordinator of the Women and Development Studies Unit (WAND) of the UWI. Her career of committed service and extraordinary achievements in the realms of diplomacy, development and women’s advancement won her local, regional and international recognition. Among the awards she received is the OAS Women of Distinction Award in 1987 and the national honours of Commander of the Order of Distinction and the Order of Jamaica. She has the remarkable distinction of being conferred Honorary Doctorates from three universities, the University of the West Indies, the University of Florida and the University of Ulster in Ireland.

Dr. Mair has produced many publications. The breadth and diversity of her work has served to widen the scope of actions targeting women and their advancement in the Region.

6. Professor Joycelin Massiah – Guyana

In acknowledgement of her exceptional career accomplishments, Professor Joycelin Massiah was conferred the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women in 1996. A true Caribbean citizen, Professor Massiah’s life path transcends Caribbean boundaries having been born in Guyana, studied and worked for several years in Jamaica and now residing as a citizen of Barbados. As a renowned Caribbean academic, scholar and intellectual, she has, through her scholarly research, contributed significantly to shaping the agenda on women and development in the Region and the movement for promoting women’s rights. A UWI graduate in Economics and Sociology, Joycelin Massiah returned to her alma mater and served with distinction as a member of the UWI community for several years as researcher and lecturer. She provided extended extraordinary service to the University, first as Research Assistant at the Mona Campus, as Research Fellow at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) Cave Hill, and finally as Director of ISER, Cave Hill from 1974 to 1992. Her remarkable record of involvement with the UWI included membership of the Senate of the University.

Professor Massiah’s career is characterized by many “firsts”, a fitting testimony to a career hinged on nothing short of excellence. As first female Head of Department at Cave Hill, first Caribbean female Professor in the Faculty of social Sciences, first female Director in any of the branches of ISER and first head of the Caribbean Office of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), she moved the process of incorporating Caribbean women into the hierarchy of leadership one step further.

Professor Massiah is well known for her seminal research project on “Women in the Caribbean” which was inspired by a recognition of the dearth of data on women in the region, needed to inform development initiatives. Her work in this area has had a profound impact on the establishment of a frame of reference for analysing and comprehending the issues related to women, their status and development in the region.

As a highly recognized scholar, Professor Massiah was invited to serve on several regional and international committees and boards among which is the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Research on Women and the Advisory Committee of the Population Council on Family Structure, Female Headship and Poverty. In a consultative capacity, she has authored several papers and reports for regional and international bodies such as CARICOM, UNESCO, PAHO and USAID.

In her current capacity as Regional Programme Advisor to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) based in Barbados, Prof. Massiah has responsibility for 26 countries in the region. The post offers her remarkable opportunities to interface with organization and agencies, government and non-government in furthering her dedicated efforts to create conditions of betterment for the women in her region.

The Government of Barbados honoured the work and lifetime contributions of Professor Massiah by awarding her the Golden Cross of Merit, Barbados’s third highest award in 1998.

7. Professor Rhoda Reddock – Trinidad and Tobago

Professor Rhoda Reddock of Trinidad and Tobago is the seventh and most recent recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women, conferred on her in 2002. The modesty and humility characteristic of this outstanding Caribbean woman belies her brilliance and accomplishments as a renowned Caribbean scholar.

Professor Reddock acquired her Ph. D in Applied Sociology in 1984 from the University of Amsterdam and then proceeded to an appointment as a Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer at the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague. It was here that she spearheaded the introduction of the Pioneering Master’s Degree programme in Women and Development. Such was her desire to serve the people of her region that she returned to the Caribbean and made a sterling contribution as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies.

The career of Professor Reddock can best be described as a journey of inspiring commitment and dedication to enhancing the status of women in society. Through her research and academic engagements she fervently undertook the task of developing Gender and Development Studies as a separate discipline, drawing from her experience in The Hague. She has been vocal in her advocacy for programmes of study on women and development throughout the region. Her untiring efforts gave birth to the introduction of Women and Development Studies at UWI and the eventual creation of a Centre for Gender and Development Studies in 1993. In 1994 Prof. Reddock’s expertise as an academic and administrator was recognized with her appointment as the first Director of the Centre for Gender and Development at St. Augustine, UWI.

Professor Reddock’s international reputation as a scholar, international consultant and expert on development issues, particularly as it relates to women, is widely known and is manifest in the number of national, regional and international bodies to which she was elected to serve. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) are just a few. She was instrumental in ensuring CARICOM’s successful participation in the fourth World Conference on Women. Professor Reddock has a line of publications to her credit including her most acclaimed book “Women Labour and Politics in Trinidad and Tobago: A History” which Choice magazine deemed the Best Academic Book in its year of publication. She has produced several publications on women’s History which have captured regional and international attention. Her contribution to raising the level of consciousness about gender and development issues and placing them on the front burner of the regional development agenda has not gone unnoticed. Among the deserving honours she has received is the UWI Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Administration, Research and Public Service in 2001.