50 years of solid service

Women from all over the Caribbean were present to mark the occasion. The special guest of honour was Dame Hilda Bynoe, who served as governor of Grenada at a time of great activity in that country.

Dame Hilda, a medical doctor by profession, is the widow of the late Peter Bynoe and lived and practised in Trinidad and Tobago before taking up the governor’s position. On her resignation from that office, she returned to TT and now lives in retirement in Diego Martin.

On her visit to Grenada in June to participate in their celebrations, Dame Hilda chose to stay in the village home in Crochu, where she grew up and where she received her primary education in the school where her father was a teacher.

A booklet featuring the 29 women who have served in the Grenada Parliament was published giving their history of service. The first was Cynthia Gairy, who was the very first woman to sit in the Grenada house of represen-tatives in 1961 and was also the first woman cabinet minister. She was the wife of the late Sir Eric Gairy, a former prime minister of Grenada.

The history also listed the women who served during the Grenada Revolution from 1979-1983 and the interim government from 1983-1984, including Jacqueline Creft, who served as minister of education and youth affairs and who was executed during the upheaval of 1983, when Maurice Bishop, the prime minister, was overthrown by internal military coup and also executed.

In introducing the evening’s proceedings, Joan Purcell, president of the Grenada senate and chairwoman of the Grenada women’s parliamentary Caucus, praised not only the women who served in the parliament, but the women of Grenada who stayed in their own houses yet were actively involved in political processes to ensure the survival of a healthy democracy and the development of good governance in Grenada.

In her own perspective, Cynthia Gairy, referring to her role in 1961-1979, wrote that “even at a time when women in first world countries were struggling for equal rights, the fact that Grenada, small as it was, already recognised that its women could make as strong a contribution as their male counterparts to the workforce, was the reason for my successive election success”. She referred to the theme by which she lived, encouraging villagers not to wait on government for everything, but to strive for self-sufficiency by doing many projects themselves. This resulted in government providing the materials, while people laid pipelines, built community centres and helped each other to build and repair their houses.

Guest of honour, Dame Hilda Bynoe, spoke of her decision to leave office as governor of Grenada, stating that she never had any doubt that it was the right decision.

“The New Jewel Movement staged a revolution and took office. I thanked God that those I knew had escaped.

“There was a Caricom meeting in Trinidad. A message reached me from Maurice Bishop asking me to get together Grenadians and friends of Grenada, so he could meet them. I had a party at my home in Maraval. He wished to speak with me alone, but that never happened. I always regretted this.

“Soon there was a coup and another and Maurice Bishop was arrested and he was killed. I remembered his mother and his wife and many others.

“Caricom, with Eugenia Charles and Tom Adams and some others, called for intervention. George Chambers of Trinidad said a firm no.

“The Americans had a medical school in Grenada. Some believed the students were at risk. I was far away from all this, but it was always my Grenada. There was a meeting at the Trinidad Hilton between Eugenia and me. She invited me to come and see her and hinted to me about a return to Grenada. I reminded her of Paul Scoon. He was the governor general.

“The Americans were anchored outside St George’s. Bombs falling on Grenada — my Grenada. I was in Trinidad. My people in Grenada they were trying to fight back.

“Many died. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers were in mourning. My heart was with them.

“Eugenia appeared on American television with Ronald Reagan to explain things and to try to justify the invasion of Grenada. I was angry. Very angry. I remembered what could have been.

“All governors of the Associated States were provided with a pension except for the governor of Grenada. The people have never known this. I have not received a pension to this day. Despite this, I still love my Grenada.

“The failure of various governments to settle debts for acquisition of lands owned by me remains a case of sorrow. I am most disappointed.

“My Grenadian passport is the only one I have. I have no other. Trinidadian citizenship through my husband, my dearly loved husband, was never an option for me.

I love Trinidad too, but Grenada citizenship is a treasured possession. I will always be Grenadian.”

The feature address was delivered by Hon Dancia Penn-Sallah, OBE, QC, a politician and former deputy governor of the British Virgin Islands, and the first British islander to serve as attorney general.

The dinner was attended by the governor-general of Grenada, Sir Carlyle Green, the speaker of the Grenada house of representatives, George Mc Guire, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Wade Mark.