EUGENIA
CHARLES
Click on the sections to view the information
NAME
Eugenia Charles
Also known as Dame Mary Eugenia Charles DBE, Miss Charles, Mamo, and Iron Lady of the Caribbean
BORN:
Mary Eugenia Charles
15th May 1919
Pointe Michel, Dominica
PROFESSION
Politician, lawyer
FAMILY
PARENTS:
John Baptiste Charles and Josephine Charles née Delauney
SIBLINGS:
Rennie, Jane Mary and Lawrence
EDUCATION
| 1933–35 | Convent of the Faithful Virgin (later known as Convent High School), Roseau, Dominica |
| 1936–39 | St. Joseph’s Convent, St. George's, Grenada |
| 1942–46 | University College of the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 1947–49 | London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England |
| DEGREES: | |
| 1933 | Pitman Shorthand—Typing Speed (London Chamber of Commerce), Convent of the Faithful Virgin, Roseau, Dominica |
| Cambridge School Certificate, Convent of the Faithful Virgin, Roseau, Dominica | |
| 1946 | B.A. (Honours) in law, University College of the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 1949 | LLB, Law and Juvenile delinquency, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England |
CAREER
| Director of the Dominica Cooperative Bank | |
| 1947 | Called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, London |
| 1969 | Co-founded the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) and is elected President |
| 1970 | Nominated to be a Member of the House of Assembly |
| Chair of the Advisory Board of the Extra Mural Department (now the School of Continuing Studies) of the University of the West Indies in Dominica | |
| 1975 | Won the Roseau Central seat to become Leader of Opposition |
| 1977 | Attended the Constitutional Conference for independence, Marlborough House, London |
| 1979 | Became member of the Committee for National Salvation (CNS) |
| 1980 | Became Prime Minister of Dominica when the DFP won elections; appointed Minister for Finance, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry |
| 1981 | Was Dominica’s signatory to the Treaty of Basseterre establishing the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) |
| 1985 | Won the Roseau Central seat when the DFP won the elections, re-elected Prime Minister; re-appointed Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs |
| 1987 | Elected President of the ACP Council of Ministers |
| Became a member of the Council of the University of the West Indies | |
| 1990 | Won Roseau Central seat when the DFP is re-elected; , re-elected Prime Minister; appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Economic Affairs, Minister of Defence |
| Appointed President of the International Federation of Women (FIDA) | |
| Elected Head of the Francophone Group of Countries | |
| 1991 | Knighted as Dame of the Order of Bath (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II at Harare, Zimbabwe during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference |
| Made chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) |
AWARDS
| 1991 | Golden Star of the Caribbean Award, La Cuencia del Caribe magazine, Puerto Rico |
| 1996 | Honorary degree, Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of the West Indies |
| 2002 | London School of Economics and Political Science Honorary Fellowship |
| 2003 | Order of the Caribbean Community conferred by the heads of government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) |
NOTABLE
| 1949 | First woman to practise as a lawyer in Dominica |
| First Dominican woman to practise as a lawyer | |
| 1980 | First female Prime Minister in the Caribbean |
DIED
6th September 2005
Fort-de-France, Martinique
Pulmonary embolism, a complication after hip replacement surgery