National

Female Leadership In The Senate

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Allyson Maynard-Gibson is a former attorney general who served as leader of both government and opposition business in the Senate on separate occasions.

Published

2 years ago

October 4, 2023

Sasha Lightbourne

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Allyson Maynard-Gibson is a former attorney general who served as leader of both government and opposition business in the Senate on separate occasions.

She once served under President Lynn Holowesko – who is a firm believer that women are chosen for these roles because of experience.

That experience led Dame Doris Johnson, Sharon Lady Wilson, Lynn Holowesko, Katherine Forbes-Smith, Mildred Hall-Watson and Lashell Adderley – to all head the Senate at one time or another in an independent Bahamas.

Sharon Lady Wilson was the first female appointed, exactly 20 years after Dame Doris held the position. She’s also the only female appointed twice.

But it was Dame Doris Johnson – who served as the first president of the Senate from 1973 to 1982 – who provided the greatest inspiration.

Current president Lashell Adderley says the women who have appointed represent a great accomplishment for the nation.

These women have all paved the way for the next generation of leaders and while women continue to break barriers, they all believe despite the advancements in the Senate chamber, there is still more work to be done.