Nita Barrow
| Her Excellency Dame Nita Barrow GCMG, DA | |
|---|---|
| Governor-General of Barbados | |
| In office 6 June 1990 – 19 December 1995 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Owen Arthur |
| Preceded by | Hugh Springer |
| Succeeded by | Denys Williams (A.g) 1995-1996
Clifford Husbands 1996 - 2011 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 November 1916 |
| Died | 19 December 1995 (aged 79) |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
Dame Ruth Nita Barrow, GCMG, DA, FRCN (15 November 1916 – 19 December 1995) was the first and only female Governor-General of Barbados.[1] She a nurse and humanitarian activist from Barbados. She served as Governor-General of Barbados from 6 June 1990 until her death on 19 December 1995.[2] She was also the sister of Errol Barrow.
Barrow trained as a nurse, midwife and health care administrator, holding a variety of nursing, public health and public administration jobs in Barbados and Jamaica in the 1940s/1950s. [citation needed]
She was a member of the Commonwealth Group of Eminent Persons that visited South Africa in 1986. During that mission she successfully thwarted South Africa's military restrictions, through entering the restricted area of Alexandria township disguised in African garb and head-dress.[3]
In 1980 Barrow was conferred the highest honour in Barbados; she was made a Dame of St. Andrew (DA) of the Order of Barbados. She was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing.
Positions
- Public health advisor to the World Health Organization & the Pan-American Health Organization (1963–75)
- President of the World YWCA (1975–83)
- President of the International Council for Adult Education (1982–90)
- President of the World Council of Churches (1983)
- Ambassador to the United Nations (1986–90)
- Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Nursing
Sources
- Blackman, Francis Woodie. Dame Nita: Caribbean Woman, World Citizen. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, 1985.
- ↑ COLLECTIONS & LIBRARIES: Their Excellencies, Cave Hill Campus Library, University of the West Indies
- ↑ Carrington, Sean (2007). A~Z of Barbados Heritage. Macmillan Caribbean Publishers Limited. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-333-92068-6.
- ↑ Carrington, (2003)
See also
- Memory of the World Register – Latin America and the Caribbean
- List of the first female holders of political offices in the Americas
External links
- Dame Ruth Nita Barrow, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) website
- Biography of Dame Ruth Nita Barrow
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hugh Springer |
Governor-General of Barbados 1990–1995 |
Succeeded by Denys Williams Acting |
|