Trinidad and Tobago
| Quota Information | Parliament Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Are there legislated quotas? | No | Structure of parliament | Unicameral |
| For the Single/Lower House? | No | >Current members | 42 |
| Percentage of women | 26.19% | ||
| Source: Gender Quotas Database | Source: New Parline | ||
Eight years after the country's first female Prime Minister was elected, Trinidad and Tobago witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of the country's first female President, Paula-Mae Weekes.
Justice Paula-Mae Weekes has been elected president of island nation Trinidad and Tobago. This makes her the first woman to lead the twin sovereign island in the southernmost part of the Caribbean.
With support from UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, the Network of NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago is training women to be more effective in running for election. They seek to learn the rules, use the rules and change the system.
Hazel Brown, co-ordinator of the Network of NGOs for the advancement of women, hopes after the October 21 local government elections that 50 per cent of councillors will be women as well as 50 per cent of aldermen elected under the newly-implemented proportional representation. Brown mad
Ugandan political activist Winnie Byanyima said social stereotypes, lack of resources and time all play a role in women not reaching their full potential in politics.
A check with the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s (EBC) Research Officer Neisha Ali, on Friday, indicated that close to 5000 more women than men are likely to cast their vote on November 5.
Caribbean Regional Colloquium on Women Leaders as Agents of Change
Hilton Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
28-30 June 2011