6 Jamaican women who wrote HERstory

FEBRUARY is globally recognised as Black History Month, and it serves to highlight and celebrate the achievements of people of African descent around the world as we reflect on the historical events that took place in order for us to get to this moment in time.

While the history books are filled with many great men from far and wide, there were also many great women writing ‘herstory’ right by their side. Today All Woman celebrates a few of those great Jamaican women who did great things, and fought for us to have some of the rights and freedoms that we have today.

Nanny of the Maroons

Nanny was a leader of the Maroons at the beginning of the 18th century. She was widely known as a powerful military leader, and a resilient symbol of unity among the formerly enslaved Africans who sought refuge in Jamaica’s hills. Nanny was particularly skilled in organising the guerilla warfare carried out by the Eastern Maroons to keep away the British troops who attempted to penetrate the mountains to overpower them. She is Jamaica’s only heroine.

Mary Seacole

Mary Seacole was a Jamaican nurse and entrepreneur who cared for soldiers at the battlefront during the Crimean War. Seacole, whose mother was a black woman, used many traditional Jamaican herbal medicines in her practice, which saw her saving the lives of countless cholera and yellow fever patients in the 19th century.

Louise Bennett-Coverley

“Miss Lou”, as she is affectionately called, was a renowned poet, educator and activist. Through her poems in the local dialect, the Jamaican patois, she raised the dialect of the Jamaican folk to the level of artistic expression which is acceptable to and appreciated by all in Jamaica. Her work influenced many other writers, including Mutabaruka, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Joan Andrea Hutchinson.

Iris Collins-Williams

Iris Rhudella Collins-Williams became the first elected female parliamentarian in Jamaica, when she became a member of the House of Representatives in 1944. She won the St James North Western seat. During her five years in office, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament served on education, social welfare, agriculture, lands and commerce committees.

Rose Leon

In 1948, Leon, a businesswoman, became the first female party chair in Jamaica as the chairman for the JLP. A year later she became the first female government minister, when she was appointed minister of health and social welfare. Leon would later leave the JLP and become a member of the People’s National Party (PNP) and again served as a government minister from the other side of the floor. From 1972-76 she was minister of local government in the Manley Government.

Portia Simpson-Miller

“Mama P” was appointed Jamaica’s first female prime minister in 2006, and would serve in the capacity twice. As leader of the People’s National Party, Mrs Simpsion Miller also served Jamaica twice as leader of the Opposition.