Women Who Rule

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