Early Life
“…And we’re not expecting that the reparatory damages will be paid in a year or two or five because the extraction of wealth and the damage took place over centuries. But we are demanding that we be seen, that we be heard and that we be felt…”
The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, SC, 8th Prime Minister of Barbados, is the first woman to hold that office having won the General Elections in May 2018. PM Mottley is a third generation politician following in the footsteps of her grandfather and father who served as mayor and Member of Parliament respectively. First elected to parliament in 1994, P. M. Mottley served in different ministries within the government until.
Prime Minister Mottley, as Chair for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations and consistently demands global conversations on reparations. In her capacity as head of state, Prime Minister Mottley consistently challenged the legacies of colonialism and presented an estimate that over of US $48 trillion is owned by former colonial states.
Select Honors and Awards
2023 Listed among the Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women
2022 TIME Magazine “The 100 Most Influential People of 2022”
2022 Named Champion of Global Change by The United Nations Foundation announced
2021 American Foundation for the University of the West Indies Legacy Award
2020 – Caribbean National Weekly, joint Person of the Year
2002 Youngest Queen’s Counsel in Barbados upon admission to the Inner Bar
Societal Impact
Mia Motley political career began at an early age as she was brought up in a family that were very active in this area. Through her grandparents on both sides she was said to have been in regular contact with persons such as Tom Adams, Bree St. John and Henry Forde well know ministers and politicians in Barbados.
This early exposure to these political figures predisposed her to national service. Mia was not only destined to be a political leader, but she was reputed to have established a reputation for herself in legal circles, having fought and won over 30 cases on appeal. Mia is described as being one of the most electorally successful female politicians in Barbados.
Miss Mottley is also a very strong advocate for climate change and reparations.
Prime Minister Mottley, as Chair for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations and consistently demands global conversations on reparations. In her capacity as head of state, Prime Minister Mottley consistently challenged the legacies of colonialism and presented an estimate that over of US $48 trillion is owned by former colonial states.
Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, speaking at the Opening Ceremony for Cop26 at the SEC, Glasgow, November 2021.
Through the Bridgetown Initiative, Prime Minister Mottley has issued a call for collective action to support the reform of the global financing models and to begin the implementation of financial system that pushes financial resources toward climate action, especially for climate vulnerable countries. Through the Bridgetown Initiative, there would be a collective allocation of climate financing and mobilization of funds for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This bold call comes from the assertion that the Caribbean regions development deficit comes from systematic underdevelopment while under colonization. Furthermore, at Emancipation, plantation owners received compensation and free labour through the apprenticeship system. In a virtual forum hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles in March 2023, topics examined included:
Arguably, the Bridgetown Initiative is one of the most significant global policy initiative to have originated from the Caribbean. She continues to call for greater levels of representation on international financial institutions – to reflect diversity, improve accessibility and acknowledge issues of racism.