Strictly Facts’ Women’s History Month: 31 Caribbean Women to Know #25-31
Woman #25: Sarah Ann Gill
Sarah Ann Gill stands as one of Barbados’s courageous freedom fighters and is honored today as a National Heroine. Born a free woman of color, she became a devoted Methodist leader at a time when both religious dissent and Black education were met with intense resistance.
Despite persecution, Gill remained steadfast in her mission, working alongside Methodists to empower enslaved people with knowledge. Her resilience helped sustain the Methodist movement in Barbados and strengthened early efforts toward spiritual and social liberation. 🇧🇧📖
Woman #26: Abigail Mejía
Abigail Mejía was a pioneering Dominican feminist, writer, and educator whose work helped lay the foundation for women’s rights movements in the Dominican Republic. A fearless advocate for equality, she used both her voice and her pen to challenge gender norms and push for social change.
Mejía co-founded Club Nosotras and Acción Feminista Dominicana, organizations that played a central role in advocating for women’s suffrage, education, and social welfare. Through her leadership, she helped mobilize women across the country and bring national attention to the importance of gender equality. 🇩🇴📚
Woman #27: Eileene L. Parsons and Ethlyn Smith
Eileene L. Parsons and Ethlyn Smith were trailblazing leaders who transformed political life in the British Virgin Islands, becoming two of the first women ever elected to the House of Assembly in 1995. Their historic achievement marked a turning point for women’s political representation in the territory.
Before entering politics, both women built impactful professional careers. Ethlyn Smith broke barriers in civil service as the first woman Accountant General of the BVI, later rising to become Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Works in 1976. Eileene Parsons, a dedicated educator and cultural icon, had a dynamic career that extended beyond the classroom. She founded the Community Singers and the BVI Heritage Dance Company, contributing significantly to the cultural life of the islands.
In government, Parsons continued to lead, serving as first Deputy Speaker, and was later honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 for her “services to education and to the community in the British Virgin Islands.” 🇻🇬
Woman #28: Sylvanie Burton
Sylvanie Burton made Dominican history in when she became the country’s first woman and first Indigenous (Kalinago) President in 2023. Her election marked a powerful moment not only for women in politics, but also for the recognition of Dominica’s Indigenous communities at the highest level of national leadership.
With a career in public service spanning decades, Burton has held several important roles since 2014, including Development Officer in the Ministry of Kalinago Affairs. Her presidency represents both progress and possibility—breaking barriers while opening doors for future generations of women and Indigenous leaders across the Caribbean. 🇩🇲
Woman #29: Athella Maude Edwards
Athella Maude Edwards was a pioneering figure in Saba’s history, remembered for her instrumental role in bringing electricity to the island. At a time when infrastructure development was limited, Edwards’ vision and determination helped transform everyday life, improving access to power and modern amenities for the community.
Her contributions extended beyond technology. She represented a broader legacy of Caribbean women whose leadership and innovation quietly but powerfully shaped their societies. Edwards’ work stands as a testament to the importance of local initiative in nation-building and community advancement. 💡
Woman #30: Mahadai Das
Mahadai Das was a Guyanese poet, activist, and one of the irst published Indo-Caribbean female writers, whose work gave voice to the complexities of identity, inequality, and resistance in Guyana and across the Caribbean.
A member of the Working People’s Alliance and volunteer with the Guyana National Service, Das was deeply engaged in political and cultural activism, using both her writing and organizing to challenge racism, gender hierarchies, and social injustice. Her powerful poetry collection "I Want to Be a Poetess of My People" (1976) encouraged Guyanese nationalism while "My Finer Steel Will Grow" (1982) challenged government racism and corruption🇬🇾✊🏽
Woman #31: Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Pottinger was a pioneering Jamaican record producer and one of the most influential women in reggae history. As the first female record producer in Jamaica, she broke barriers in a male-dominated industry and played a critical role in shaping the sound of ska, rocksteady, and reggae.
Through her labels, such as High Note and Treasure Isle, Pottinger worked with and elevated some of the genre’s most iconic voices, while also creating space for women artists to thrive. Known for her keen ear and what many described as a “maternal instinct” in guiding talent, she fostered a more supportive and respectful environment in contrast to the exploitative practices sometimes found in the industry. She was a cultural architect whose work helped define Jamaica’s musical legacy on a global stage. 🇯🇲🎶