Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

17 KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR (1952- ) S he is the 7th Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and was sworn in on May 26, 2010 as the country’s first female Prime Minister. Persad-Bissessar graduated from Iere High School and went on to further her studies at the University of the West Indies, Norwood Technical College (England,) and the Hugh Wooding Law School. She was awarded a B.A. (Hons.), a Diploma in Education, a B.A. of Laws (Hons.) and a Legal Education Certificate. In 2006 she obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Trinidad. On completion of her studies, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar entered the teaching profession. While in England pursuing studies, she worked as a social worker with the Church of England Children’s Society of London. She taught at the St. Andrew High School in Kingston, Jamaica and at the Mona Campus in Jamaica. Later, she taught at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. In 1987, Persad-Bissessar entered the political world. From 1987 until 1991, she served as an alderman for St. Patrick County Council. Representing the United National Congress in Opposition, she took the Oath of Allegiance at a sitting of the Senate on November 1, 1994. Since 1995 she has been the Member of Parliament for Siparia, serving as Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Education. Her ascent to the leadership of the political party, the United National Congress (UNC) and subsequently to become the PrimeMinister of T&T is an amazing story all of which is documented in the books Through the Political Glass Ceiling by Kris Rampersad (2010); Kamla: Ascent of a Woman, by Rhona Baptiste (2010) and Kamla: Trinidad and Tobago’s First Woman Prime Minister (2011 Justin Joseph/Hansib).