IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 16 

Congratulating Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for becoming the first 

democratically-elected female Prime Minister of Jamaica and the first 

female Jamaican head of state. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2007 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Congratulating Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for becoming the first democratically-elected female Prime 

Minister of Jamaica and the first female Jamaican head 

of state. 

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller won the 2006 parliamentary 

election in Jamaica, becoming the first female Prime 

Minister in the history of Jamaica; 

Whereas on February 25, 2006, Portia Simpson-Miller was 

elected President of the People’s National Party and 

Prime Minister-designate; 

Whereas in the People’s National Party internal vote, Portia 

Simpson-Miller received 1,775 votes, while her nearest 

rival, National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips, received 1,538 votes; 


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•HCON 16 IH 

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller had been the Jamaican Minister of Local Government and Sport since October 2002; 

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller previously served as Jamaican Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports from 1989 

to 1993, when she first entered Parliament for South 

West St. Andrew, then served as Minister of Labour and 

Welfare from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Labour, Social 

Security and Sports from 1995 to February 2000, and 

Minister of Tourism and Sports from February 2000 to 

October 2002; 

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller had also served as a Vice 

President of the People’s National Party since 1978; 

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts in 

public administration from the Union Institute, and has 

since been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane 

Letters by the Union Institute; 

Whereas 70 percent of Jamaican university students are female and 80 to 90 percent of Jamaican law school students are female; 

Whereas women in Jamaica have traditionally made up close 

to 50 percent of the labor force and, over the past two 

decades, have increasingly moved into many of the senior 

and middle-management positions across society; 

Whereas there are still few women in the highest positions of 

Jamaican society, particularly in the male-dominated 

area of politics; and 

Whereas Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller took office on 

March 30, 2006: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


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•HCON 16 IH 

1 (1) congratulates Prime Minister Portia Simp2 son-Miller for becoming the first democratically3 elected female Prime Minister of Jamaica and the 

4 first female Jamaican head of state; and 

5 (2) commends the people of Jamaica for this 

6 benchmark for women, for democracy, and for a di7 verse and prosperous nation, and encourages further 

8 progress by Jamaican women to be strong, success9 ful leaders and policymakers. 

Æ 


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