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ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Jan 28 2016 – Minister with responsibility for Social Transformation & Human Resource Development Samantha Marshall has condemned what the calls political harassment of an opposition female legislator.
“…the most current example of political harassment was that of the public utterances made by the Political Leader of the United Progressive Party, Harold Lovell and the deliberate and calculated treatment by the said Party, of its own female Opposition Member of Parliament, Joanne Massiah,” Marshall said in a statement.
“As an elected female Member of Parliament, I cannot remain silent and accept the gross political harassment and disrespect that has been meted out on Joanne Massiah by the Opposition Political Leader and his supporters on the Opposition aligned radio station and in other public fora.
“The abuse by certain paternalistic elements of society is being targeted at a female Parliamentarian, who aspires to political leadership, and who has the right to stand up against a leadership bent on character assassination. Most recently, MP Massiah was labeled a “traitor” for representing her constituents in Parliament at the Budget Presentation and has since been crucified by UPP supporters, fuelled by its Political Leader Harold Lovell,” Marshall added.
Over the past two days, three female Antigua and Barbuda Parliamentarians participated in the Parliament of the Americas Conference which convened in Saint Lucia under the theme, “Gender-Based Political Harassment: Building Awareness in Parliaments.”
Ms. Marshall said the under-representation of women in many spheres of society within Antigua and Barbuda, as well as many other jurisdictions, is an issue of great concern.
Women in Antigua and Barbuda make up approximately 52 percent of the population, while elected women only make up approximately 11.8 percent of the House of Representatives.
