In a significant political assessment, Dame Janet Bostwick—The Bahamas’ groundbreaking first female parliamentarian—has characterized her Free National Movement (FNM) party’s path to victory in the upcoming general election as an “uphill fight.” The revered stateswoman, who shattered glass ceilings by entering Parliament in 1982 and subsequently serving as attorney general and acting prime minister, shared her candid perspectives with journalists last Friday.
Dame Janet expressed profound disappointment regarding former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis’ decision to contest the Killarney constituency as an independent candidate following his exclusion from the FNM’s official ticket. While acknowledging his constitutional right to pursue independent candidacy, she voiced concern that this move might potentially tarnish his established political legacy. “Dr. Minnis made great contributions to our party and to the country,” she noted, adding, “I would hope that even at this stage, he may decide to take a different direction.”
The political pioneer acknowledged existing fractures within FNM ranks, confirming the party hasn’t achieved complete unity. She revealed that a minority faction has chosen to operate outside the official party structure, though she maintained that the organization retains its core base and has simultaneously gained new supporters. Despite these internal challenges, Dame Janet expressed confidence that the party remains well-positioned to effectively contest the impending electoral battle.
Shifting to gender representation, the celebrated trailblazer welcomed the increasing number of female candidates preparing to contest the election but emphasized the critical need for substantially improved representation in the House of Assembly. With women currently occupying fewer than 25% of parliamentary seats despite constituting approximately half of the national population, Dame Janet advocated for affirmative action measures to ensure women achieve meaningful influence in national decision-making processes.