Background

Charles, granddaughter of former slaves and the youngest of four children, was born in the southern district of Pointe Michel on May 15, 1919, into the well-to-do family of John Baptiste Charles and Josephine Delauney. A political activist and self-made man who believed education was everything, John Baptiste was a mason who became a farmer, land developer, and the founder of the Penny Bank in Dominica. Her father's strong belief in the importance of education was also obvious in her own schooling, which began in Catholic primary and secondary schools in Dominica and Grenada.

Education

She received her primary education and a portion of her secondary education in Dominica, completing her higher studies at a Roman Catholic convent in Grenada. She then attended the University of Toronto where she graduated with a B.A. in 1946. She qualified as a barrister in 1947. From there she went to Britain and attended the Inner Temple, Inns of Court, where she completed her law studies in 1947 and continued studies at the London School of Economics.

Career

In 1949, she returned to Dominica as the first female lawyer on the island. However, she lived and practiced law in London for many years before permanently returning to Dominica in the 1960s. She was almost a fixture in the letters to the editor section of the local press so much so that in 1968 the government tried to amend the Seditious and Undesirable Publications Act with a proposal that would have limited dissenting views. Charles became active in politics and organized the opposing Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), which began its political involvement in the 1970 elections. Charles was not elected in her run for office that year, but she accepted an appointed seat to the legislature.

In 1975 she was the leader of the DFP and was elected to the House of Assembly, where she became the leader of the opposition another first by a woman in Dominica. In 1977 she was among the leaders chosen to travel to Britain to discuss independence, which was finally granted in 1978. Two years later, after the devastation left by Hurricane David, Charles' DPF won the 1980 elections by a landslide and she became prime minister. A strong advocate of free enterprise, Charles' government initially focused on eliminating government corruption and on the development of economic reform measures. In addition, she survived two attempted coups during the first years of her rule.

Achievements

• During her tenure in politics she had to absorb comments and insults from men unaccustomed to women in leadership roles. She was also attacked because she had never married. Despite all this, Charles was elected to a third term in 1990. Described by many as a decisive leader, her administration left a legacy of economic reform and set in place mechanisms to end government corruption. Charles was asked what advice she would give young women. She replied that women must have a good understanding of themselves and their goals as well as a plan "And not let anybody interfere with it" (Listwood 1996,121). In February 2003 she received the Order of the Caribbean Community, the region's highest award, in recognition of her work for Caribbean people.

Politics

Deeply anticommunist, she called on U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to help prevent Cuban infiltration of Grenada, which resulted in the U.S. incursion of Grenada. As a result, she was able to obtain millions of dollars from the United States for improving the island's roads and other infrastructure. Her government oversaw the construction of Roseau Waterfront, a protective sea wall that has become a popular promenade, as well as the construction of bridges and water and telephone systems. Her decision to call Reagan, coupled with her commanding presence, earned her the nickname "Iron Lady of the Caribbean."

In 1985, Charles was re-elected to a second five-year term and also became minister of foreign affairs, finance, economic affairs, and defense. Even though her primary concern was to improve the economy and quality of life for Dominicans, she was adamant about allowing open development of tourist resorts, but her approach focused on preserving the island's ecology and national identity. To that extent, Dominica has no casinos, nightclubs, or duty-free shops. Her vision has led Dominica to become a model eco-tourism destination in the Caribbean. Notwithstanding the progress Dominica has experienced under her leadership, her critics claimed that she ran the country too much like a business, at the expense of the people.

Connections

Mary Eugenia Charles had no family of her own.