The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration now has five women in Cabinet, with four of those sworn in yesterday saying they are happy to serve.

There has been a call in recent years for more women to be given a seat around the Cabinet table. Throughout its term, the Minnis administration only had one woman in Cabinet.

Only five women served in the House of Assembly in the last term.

Last week, all seven of the Progressive Liberal Party’s women candidates were elected to Parliament.

In addition to Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education, Technical and Vocational Training, Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, swore in four other women in the roles of minister and ministers of state.

They are: JoBeth Coleby-Davis, Minister of Transport and Housing; Ginger Moxey, Minister of Grand Bahama; Pia Glover-Rolle, Minister of State for Public Service and Lisa Rahming, Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development.

The swearing-in took place at a ballroom in the Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar as hundreds of Progressive Liberal Party supports witnessed the event.

Ms Coleby-Davis was excited about heading up her ministry and assisting with the “rebuild” of this country.

“It feels great,” she said of her appointment. “It really feels wonderful. I’m excited and happy with the Bahamian people for entrusting me with the constituency of Elizabeth. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for giving me this opportunity.

“I am excited to get the work started and to help rebuild our country. I would like to get in the office and meet with the staff so that I can understand where we are so we can start planning ahead.”

The Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development will have a substantive minister and a minister of state running it. Ms Rahming looks forward to the partnership with her minister. She also feels the five women playing roles in the Cabinet will, “definitely bring something different to the table.”

“We will work in partnership and collaboration with each other after going into the ministry and seeing what needs to be done to push things forward,” she said. “I am elated and I know that as women we are going to bring something totally different to the table.

“Women have more compassion. Women have more understanding. We come to bring a lot to the table.”

For her part, Ms Glover-Rolle believes in training and vows to make it a priority within the civil service.

“First of all I plan to meet with the technical experts in the ministry to find out what’s going on to be able to assess,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “Training has always been very important to me. I’m looking to a public service wide training where we address customer service, technology and we ensure that we place civil servants based on their skills set. I think that is very important.

“I think we also have to address the backlog in the Public Service Commission. So there are so many things to address, but the first thing I have to do is check with the technical experts from the ministry.”

Ms Glover-Rolle, who was elected to represent the Golden Gates constituency, said she learned a few things while campaigning that she will have to look into when she takes up office.

“Going door-to-door in Golden Gates I found that there are a number of civil servants who live in the Golden Gates constituency,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “They have told me some disparities that exists so I will use that as a reference as well.”

Lanisha Rolle was the only woman appointed to Cabinet by former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in 2017. When she resigned her post earlier this year, Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe was sworn in as a Cabinet minister.