The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller
Jamaica's First Female Prime Minister

Portia Simpson Miller | Jamaica's First Female Prime Minister (Photo: Instagram)

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer

The Most Honourable Portia Lucretia Simpson Miller is affectionately called Mama P or Sista P by most Jamaicans. She has given a life of service to Jamaica for most of her adult life. But let’s take a step back and into the past to see what life was before she entered politics.

On December 12, 1945, Portia Lucretia Simpson was born in Wood Hall Clarendon, Jamaica to parents Zedekiah Simpson and Ethlyn Tullouch. Her early education was spent at Marlie Hill Primary and St. Martin’s High, both in the same parish. After graduating high school, she went on to further her career at the Jamaica Commercial Institute.

During her political career, she also found it important to continue her education and did just that, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration, and also Certificates in Public Relations and Advanced Management from the Union Institute & the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

She also completed the Executive Programme for Leaders in Development at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Political Career

Her interest in politics peaked and she became a member of the People's National Party. In 1974, she was elected to the city council of Kingston and St. Andrew with responsibility for Trench town. In 1976, she won the election to the House of Representatives from the constituency of St. Andrew South Western and was reelected in 1980.

Though she lost her seat due to her party’s decision not to contest the 1983 elections, she reclaimed the responsibilities of her constituency in 1989 never losing it again throughout her political career.

During her career, she has served as the minister of many portfolios over the 17 consecutive years that the PNP retained power.

These include the ministries of Labour, Welfare, and Sports (1989), Labour and Welfare (1993–95), Labour, Social Security and Sports (1995–2000), Tourism and Sports (2000–02), and Local Government, Community Development and Sport (2002–06).

The annual farm work program which sees many Jamaicans working abroad in agriculture was revamped under the leadership of Mrs Simpson Miller. Another notable part of her political career was her contribution to Jamaica’s athletics when she saw the establishment of the Sports Development Foundation in 1995.

She was also head of the PNP’s Women’s movement from 1983-2006.

While seeing to the completion of all these social and economic development projects Mrs Simpson-Miller climbed the ranks of the male-dominated political scene to become Vice-President of the PNP a post she held from 1978 until she was elected president in 2006.

During the same period, she also rose through the PNP’s ranks, serving as her party’s vice president (1978–2006) and heading its Women’s Movement (1983–2006).

Elections

Upon the retirement of the longest serving Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Most Honourable, PJ Patterson, Portia Simpson Miller became Prime Minister. However, she lost her first election to the Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party, who recorded their first win in 18 years.

In 2012, Mrs Simpson -Miller would win her first election against Andrew Holness who was the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party following the resignation of Bruce Golding. This time Portia and the PNP came out on top winning 42 of the 63 seats in parliament.

Prime Minister Simpson Miller was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Union Institute and an honorary doctorate in public service from the Northern Caribbean University.

The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller at the opening of the track at Kingston College (Photo: Instagram)

Honours and Awards

• The Order of Merit (2006)
  
  
• Member of the Council of Women World Leaders
  
  
• Vice-President of Socialist International (2013)
  
  
• Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Union Institute (2002)
  
  
• Honorary doctorate in Public Service from the Northern Caribbean University
  
  
• Person of the Year by The Gleaner (2011)
  
  
• “100 Most Influential People In The World” by Time Magazine (2012)
  
  
• International Olympic Committee’s World Women and Sport Trophy for outstanding dedication to women in Jamaican Sports – both athletes and administrators (2007)
  
  
• Distinguished Award for her dedication and commitment to urban renewal and community development from the Mayor, City of Miami (2009)
  
  
• Bureau of Women’s Affairs Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of women’s affairs in Jamaica

The decriminalisation of marijuana was also done during her tenure as Prime Minister.

The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller stepped down from representational politics in 2017 after losing the 2016 elections to Andrew Holness.

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References & Sources For Portia Simpson Miller

1. Portia Simpson-Miller - Council of Women World Leaders, https://www.councilwomenworldleaders.org/portia-simpson-miller.html
2. Caribbean Elections Biography | Portia Simpson Miller,http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/simpson_miller_portia.asp
3. Portia Simpson Miller – Jamaica Information Service, https://jis.gov.jm/profiles/dr-peter-phillips/
4. The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller (1945 – ) | The National Library of Jamaica, https://nlj.gov.jm/project/honourable-portia-simpson-miller-1945
5. Portia Simpson Miller | Biography & Facts | Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Portia-Simpson-Miller
6. Portia Simpson-Miller - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portia_Simpson-Miller#2007_elections

Portia Simpson Miller | Written: August 22, 2022

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