Eugenia Charles
Encyclopedia
Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, DBE
(15 May 1919 – 6 September 2005) was Prime Minister
of Dominica
from 21 July 1980 until 14 June 1995. She was Dominica's first, and to date only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest serving prime minister. She was the second female prime minister in the Caribbean
after Lucinda da Costa of the Netherlands Antilles
, and the first woman elected in her own right as head of government
in the Americas
. She was the world's third longest-serving female Prime Minister, behind Indira Gandhi
of India
and Sirimavo Bandaranaike
of Sri Lanka
, and the world's longest continuously serving female Prime Minister ever.
in Saint Luke
parish, to a "coloured bourgeoise" family. She attended Convent School in Dominica, the island's only girls' secondary school, and became interested in law
while working at the colonial magistrate's court. She worked for many years as assistant to Alastair Forbes
. She attended university in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
before moving to the United Kingdom
to attend the London School of Economics
. She was a member of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho
. She passed the bar and returned to Dominica, where she became the island's first female lawyer, establishing a practice specialising in property law.
Charles never married nor had children, which caused friction for her in the male-dominated sphere of Caribbean politics. In 1991 she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
.
Charles began campaigning in politics during the 1960s against restrictions on press freedom. She helped to found the Dominica Freedom Party
, and was its leader from the early 1970s until 1995. She was elected to the House of Assembly
in 1970 and became Opposition Leader in 1975. She continued serving after Dominica gained full independence from British
rule in 1978.
Charles became Prime Minister when the DFP swept the 1980 elections, the party's first electoral victory. She took over from Oliver Seraphin, who had himself only taken over the year before after mass protests had forced the country's first prime minister, Patrick John
, to step down from office. She additionally served as Dominica's Foreign Minister
from 1980 to 1990, and also served as chairperson of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
(OECS).
In 1981 she faced two attempted coups d'état
. That year Frederick Newton
, commander of the Military of Dominica
, organised an attack on the police headquarters in Roseau, resulting in the death of a police officer. Newton and five other soldiers were found guilty in the attack and sentenced to death in 1983. The five accomplices sentences' were later commuted to life in prison, and Newton was executed in 1986. Also in 1981, a group of Canadian
and American
mercenaries, mostly affiliated with white supremacist
and Ku Klux Klan
groups, planned a coup to restore former Prime Minister Patrick John to power. The attempt, which the conspirators codenamed Operation Red Dog
, was thwarted by American federal agents in New Orleans, Louisiana
, and was soon facetiously dubbed the "Bayou of Pigs" after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion
.
Charles became more widely known to the outside world for her role in the lead-up to the United States
Invasion of Grenada
. In the wake of the arrest and execution of Grenadian
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop
, Charles, then serving as chair of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, appealed to the United States, Jamaica
, and Barbados
for intervention. She later appeared on television with US president Ronald Reagan
, supporting the invasion.
Charles and her party were considered conservative by Caribbean standards. However, many of her policies appeared centrist or even leftist by American standards; for instance she did support some social welfare programmes. Other issues that were important to her were anti-corruption measures and individual freedom. For her uncompromising stance on this and other issues, she became known as the "Iron Lady of the Caribbean" (after the original "Iron Lady", Margaret Thatcher
).
's Carter Center
, which promotes human rights and observes elections. On 30 August 2005, Charles was taken to a hospital in Fort-de-France
, Martinique
, for hip replacement surgery and died from a pulmonary embolism
on 6 September, aged 86.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(15 May 1919 – 6 September 2005) was Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Dominica
The Prime Minister of Dominica is the head of government in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Nominally, the position was created on November 3, 1978 when Dominica gained independence from the United Kingdom...
of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
from 21 July 1980 until 14 June 1995. She was Dominica's first, and to date only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest serving prime minister. She was the second female prime minister in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
after Lucinda da Costa of the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
, and the first woman elected in her own right as head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. She was the world's third longest-serving female Prime Minister, behind Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the world's longest continuously serving female Prime Minister ever.
Personal life
Charles was born in the fishing village of Pointe MichelPointe Michel
Pointe Michel is a small town on the southwest coast of Dominica. It is located to the south of the capital, Roseau, and is known for being the birthplace of Dominica's first female Prime Minister, Dame Eugenia Charles....
in Saint Luke
Saint Luke Parish, Dominica
Saint Luke is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. George , St. Mark , and St. Patrick ....
parish, to a "coloured bourgeoise" family. She attended Convent School in Dominica, the island's only girls' secondary school, and became interested in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
while working at the colonial magistrate's court. She worked for many years as assistant to Alastair Forbes
Alastair Forbes
Sir Alastair Forbes, , served with the Colonial Legal Service and ended his career as President of the Courts of Appeal for St Helena, the Falkland Islands and British Antarctic Territories from 1965 until 1988.-Early life:...
. She attended university in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
before moving to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to attend the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. She was a member of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
. She passed the bar and returned to Dominica, where she became the island's first female lawyer, establishing a practice specialising in property law.
Charles never married nor had children, which caused friction for her in the male-dominated sphere of Caribbean politics. In 1991 she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Political career
Dominica Freedom Party
The Dominica Freedom Party is a conservative political party in Dominica.The party lost all of its seats in the House of Assembly at 2005 general election, held on 5 May 2005. This was the first time since 1975 that the DFP was not elected in any seats...
, and was its leader from the early 1970s until 1995. She was elected to the House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Dominica
The House of Assembly is the legislature of Dominica. It is established by Chapter III of the Constitution of Dominica, and together with the President of Dominica constitutes Dominica's Parliament. The House is unicameral, and consists of twenty-one Representatives, nine Senators, and an...
in 1970 and became Opposition Leader in 1975. She continued serving after Dominica gained full independence from British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rule in 1978.
Charles became Prime Minister when the DFP swept the 1980 elections, the party's first electoral victory. She took over from Oliver Seraphin, who had himself only taken over the year before after mass protests had forced the country's first prime minister, Patrick John
Patrick John
Colonel Patrick Roland John was the Prime Minister of Dominica as well as the Premier of Dominica. During his premiership Dominica gained independence from the United Kingdom and he became the first Prime Minister of Dominica. He was a successful trade union leader and a mayor of Roseau before...
, to step down from office. She additionally served as Dominica's Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
from 1980 to 1990, and also served as chairperson of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , created in 1981, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and dependencies in the Eastern Caribbean...
(OECS).
In 1981 she faced two attempted coups d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. That year Frederick Newton
Frederick Newton
Frederick Newton was the head of the Dominica Defence Force from its independence in 1978 until 1981. He was executed in 1986 for organising an attempted coup d'état in 1981 that resulted in the death of a police officer....
, commander of the Military of Dominica
Military of Dominica
The military of Dominica consists of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force .Military expenditures - dollar figure:$NAMilitary expenditures - percent of GDP:NA%...
, organised an attack on the police headquarters in Roseau, resulting in the death of a police officer. Newton and five other soldiers were found guilty in the attack and sentenced to death in 1983. The five accomplices sentences' were later commuted to life in prison, and Newton was executed in 1986. Also in 1981, a group of Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mercenaries, mostly affiliated with white supremacist
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
and Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
groups, planned a coup to restore former Prime Minister Patrick John to power. The attempt, which the conspirators codenamed Operation Red Dog
Operation Red Dog
Operation Red Dog was the code name of plan by Canadian and American mercenaries, largely affiliated with white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan groups, to overthrow the government of Dominica, where they planned to restore former Prime Minister Patrick John to power...
, was thwarted by American federal agents in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, and was soon facetiously dubbed the "Bayou of Pigs" after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
.
Charles became more widely known to the outside world for her role in the lead-up to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Invasion of Grenada
Invasion of Grenada
The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...
. In the wake of the arrest and execution of Grenadian
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop
Maurice Bishop
Maurice Rupert Bishop was a Grenadian politician and revolutionary who seized power in a coup in 1979 from Eric Gairy and served as Prime Minister of the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada until 1983, when he was overthrown in another coup by Bernard Coard, a member of his own...
, Charles, then serving as chair of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, appealed to the United States, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
for intervention. She later appeared on television with US president Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, supporting the invasion.
Charles and her party were considered conservative by Caribbean standards. However, many of her policies appeared centrist or even leftist by American standards; for instance she did support some social welfare programmes. Other issues that were important to her were anti-corruption measures and individual freedom. For her uncompromising stance on this and other issues, she became known as the "Iron Lady of the Caribbean" (after the original "Iron Lady", Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
).
Life after politics
Her popularity declined during her third term, and she announced her retirement in 1995. The DFP subsequently lost the 1995 elections. After retiring, she undertook speaking engagements in the United States and elsewhere, and became involved in former US President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
, which promotes human rights and observes elections. On 30 August 2005, Charles was taken to a hospital in Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, for hip replacement surgery and died from a pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
on 6 September, aged 86.
Further reading
- "Memorial Mass for Dame Eugenia", The Chronicle, September 11, 2009.