Women Who Rule
Photo Credit: Johnny Nunez/Wire Image
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THE POPULIST: Portia Simpson-Miller, 60 prime minister of Jamaica; elected February 25, 2006
SOUND TRACK: Reggae tunes “The Strength of a Woman” and “I Wanna Thank You (Momma).”
SLOGAN: “Come to Mama,” though she has no children; her “kids,” she explains, are Jamaica’s working poor.
STICKING POINT: During her campaign, Simpson- Miller repeatedly dodged questions about how she would fix a system that thrives on crime and bribery; she was backed by what one diplomat called “some very scary people.”
CAMPAIGN PLEDGES: To reduce crime and improve quality of life. Seventeen percent of people in Jamaica live below the poverty line, and Simpson-Miller has vowed to “lift up the poor.”
WHY SHE MATTERS: Despite the sun-dappled tourism ads, Jamaica has the third-highest murder rate in the world. Less murder = more tourists = a boost to the troubled economy.
FUN FACT: Loves to watch boxing.
SIGNATURE STYLE: Straight-up suits and pearls.
WHO WOULD PLAY HER IN THE MOVIE: Oprah’s BFF, Gayle King
NICKNAMES: Sista P and Mama Portia
