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“[…] Our reality is that: women still make up only 23% of members of Parliament; the unemployment rate for women remains higher than for men, especially among young women aged 15-24 (CSO, 2022); and one in three women in Trinidad and Tobago has experienced intimate partner violence (UN Women Caribbean, 2023).
“[…] The late Hazel Brown, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s foremost advocates for women’s rights, recognised that political talk was not enough [and] championed gender-responsive budgeting, ensuring that national budgets prioritise women’s real needs…”
The following Letter to the Editor on women’s issues in politics was submitted to Wired868 by Dennise Demming, MSc, MBA, wellness therapist, communications coach and speaker:
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
There was time in our country when women mattered. As we head into the 2025 general elections, one thing is clear: women’s issues are missing from the national conversation.
According to the (EBC, 2020) women making up over 50% of the population and more than half of registered voters. Why then have political parties sidelined serious discussion about women’s rights, opportunities, and safety?
There was a time when women’s political power was actively courted. The People’s National Movement (PNM) held massive women’s meetings—none more famous than the gathering at Bournes Road and Western Main Road in St James, where thousands of women turned out.
Photo: PNM.
It was a stirring reminder that women mattered, not just as voters but as a force capable of shaping governments. As we move toward the 2025 polls, such large, dedicated mobilisations are absent today.
Political parties no longer view women as an organised constituency requiring meaningful engagement. The days when women rallied publicly, demanding to be heard, seem like a distant memory.
Even more concerning is the minimisation of women’s struggles by some of the very leaders who once broke glass ceilings. On International Women’s Day 2025, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the first woman to serve as prime minister, stated: “we can proudly say that there is no gender domination in Trinidad and Tobago today.”
I wonder what she meant by that. Was she suggesting that the fight for equality is over?
(Copyright Office of the Parliament 2020.)
Our reality is that: women still make up only 23% of members of Parliament; the unemployment rate for women remains higher than for men, especially among young women aged 15-24 (CSO, 2022); and one in three women in Trinidad and Tobago has experienced intimate partner violence (UN Women Caribbean, 2023).
There is a lot of work to be done to minimise gender domination in our country.
The late Hazel Brown, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s foremost advocates for women’s rights, recognised that political talk was not enough.
She championed gender-responsive budgeting, ensuring that national budgets prioritise women’s real needs. More funding for childcare, healthcare, small businesses, and protection services could lift thousands of women and families toward greater security and prosperity.
Hazel taught us that a country’s budget shows what it truly values.
Today, those lessons seem forgotten. Women’s issues are no longer front and centre, and political parties seem to treat women as an afterthought rather than a powerful voting bloc.
Women must organise, demand clear commitments, and vote strategically. We must remember the spirit of those mass meetings at Bournes Road, when women knew their power and used it.
In 2025, we must refuse to be silent. Our future depends on it.
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Dennise Demming grew up in East Dry River, Port of Spain and has more than 30 years experience as a communication strategist, political commentator and event planner. She has 15 years experience lecturing business communications at UWI and is the co-licensee for TEDxPortofSpain. Dennise is a member of the HOPE political party.
