Janet Bostwick

{{short description|Bahamian lawyer and politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}

Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick {{postnominals|country=GBR|DBE}} (née Musgrove; born 30 October 1939) is a Bahamian lawyer and politician. She entered politics in 1977 with an appointment to the Senate. She was the first woman to serve as acting Prime Minister, first woman Attorney-General and the first woman Member of Parliament in the Bahamas.

Biography

Janet Gwennett Musgrove was born in Nassau to Nick and Lois Musgrove.{{sfn|Sleeman|2001|p=70}} In 1957, she began working as a stenographer in the Legal Department of the Bahamas and by 1961 had become the private secretary of the Attorney General.{{cite news|title=Cablegate: Bahamas Nomination for International Women of Courage Award|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WL0912/S02744/cablegate-bahamas-nomination-for-international-women-of-courage-award.htm|access-date=19 September 2015|publisher=Scoop|date=8 December 2009|location=Wellington, New Zealand}}

Between 1967 and 1971, she served as an Administrative Officer of the Legal Department and attended law school, earning her membership to the Bahamas Bar Association in 1971.{{cite web|title=Members Directory: Janet Bostwick|url=http://bahamasbarassociation.com/MembersDirectory.asp?pg=11&memberact=&searchfm=&searchln=&searchcd=&searchbc=|publisher=Bahamas Bar Association|access-date=19 September 2015|location=Nassau, Bahamas|archive-date=19 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919181007/http://bahamasbarassociation.com/MembersDirectory.asp?pg=11&memberact=&searchfm=&searchln=&searchcd=&searchbc=|url-status=dead}} Through 1974, she served as Crown Counsel{{cite news|title=Man Pleads Not Guilty|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3253012/man_pleads_not_guilty_the/|access-date=19 September 2015|publisher=The Press-Gazette|date=10 May 1974|location=Hillsboro, Ohio|page=5|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}} simultaneously serving as Crown Prosecutor, leaving the government service in 1975 for private law practice. Between 1980 and 1981, she became the first woman to serve as president of the bar association.{{Cite web |title=The Rt. Hon. Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick |url=https://caricom.org/personalities/the-rt-hon-dame-janet-gwennett-bostwick/ |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=CARICOM |language=en-US}}

In 1977, Bostwick was appointed as a Senator and in the 1982 Bahamian general election, she ran as a candidate of the Free National Movement (FNM) winning her race and becoming the first woman to serve in the House of Assembly. For the next twenty years, she served as MP for Yamacraw,{{cite news|title=FNM Celebrates Janet Bostwick's Anniversary|url=http://www.tribune242.com/news/2015/jun/17/fnm-celebrates-janet-bostwicks-anniversary/|access-date=19 September 2015|publisher=Tribune242|date=17 June 2015|location=Nassau, Bahamas}} sponsoring such legislation as the Matrimonial Causes Act (1978); the Affiliation

Proceedings Act (1981); the Bar Act (1981); the Female Employees (Grant of Maternity Leave) Act (1988); and the Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Act (1991). She was appointed as Minister of Housing and Labour from 1992 to 1994 and served from 1994 to 1995 as Minister of Justice and Immigration. Between 1995 and 2001, she served as Attorney-General{{cite news|last=Carron|first=Eileen |author-link=Eileen Carron |title=Women's Struggles In The Bahamas|url=http://www.tribune242.com/news/2009/feb/23/womens-struggles-in-the-bahamas/|access-date=19 September 2015|publisher=Tribune242|date=23 February 2009|location=Nassau, Bahamas}} and simultaneously as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1995) and Minister for Women's Affairs (1995-2001).{{sfn|Sleeman|2001|p=70}}

Her appointment as Attorney General marked the first time a woman had served in that capacity.{{cite news |title=Arise, Dame Janet |url=http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/mar/29/arise-dame-janet/ |access-date=29 February 2020 |date=29 March 2019 |newspaper=The Tribune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813123814/http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/mar/29/arise-dame-janet/ |archive-date=13 August 2019 |location=Nassau, Bahamas}} In 1998, when the Prime Minister and his deputy were both absent from the country, Bostwick became the first woman to act as Prime Minister. In 2002, Bostwick lost her re-election bid to Melanie Griffin.{{cite web|title=Progressive Liberal Party MPs|url=http://www.fredmitchelluncensored.com/May02.html#THE%20LIST%20OF%20THOSE%20WHO|publisher=Fred Mitchell Uncensored|access-date=19 September 2015|location=Nassau, Bahamas|date=2 May 2002}} In 2011, Bostwick became the Deputy to the Governor General.{{cite news|title=Janet Bostwick sworn in as Deputy to the Governor General|url=http://www.bahamaislandsinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10386:janet-bostwick-sworn-in-as-deputy-to-the-governor-general&catid=34:Bahamas%20National%20News&Itemid=147|access-date=19 September 2015|publisher=Bahama Islands Info|date=21 November 2011|location=Freeport, Grand Bahama|archive-date=4 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404121136/http://bahamaislandsinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10386:janet-bostwick-sworn-in-as-deputy-to-the-governor-general&catid=34:Bahamas%20National%20News&Itemid=147|url-status=dead}}

Affiliations

Bostwick served as president of the Free National Movement Women's Association, president of the International Caribbean Women for Democracy and on the Executive Committee of the Girl's Brigade. In 2012, she was honored as Nassau's nominee of the International Woman of Courage Award.{{cite web|title=U.S. Chargé Recognizes a Matriarch of Women's Rights, the Hon. Janet G. Bostwick, with International Woman of Courage Award|url=http://nassau.usembassy.gov/iwoc2012.html|publisher=U.S. Embassy|access-date=19 September 2015|location=Nassau, Bahamas|date=6 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062653/http://nassau.usembassy.gov/iwoc2012.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

The Janet Bostwick Medal for Women in the Foreign Service is named after her. Recipients include Patricia Rodgers (2014).{{Cite web |date=2016-10-21 |title=PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATES OUTSTANDING OFFICERS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FOREIGN SERVICE |url=https://www.bahamasembdc.org/prime-minister-congratulates-outstanding-officers-for-their-contributions-to-the-foreign-service/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=Embassy of the Bahamas to the United States |language=en-US}}

Personal life

She is married to John Henry Bostwick, who from 1992 to 2002 served as President of the Senate.{{cite web|title=The Senate of The Bahamas |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/parliament/bs_parliament/bs_senate.asp |publisher=Caribbean Elections |access-date=19 September 2015 |location=St. Michael, Barbados |date=19 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033031/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/parliament/bs_parliament/bs_senate.asp |archive-date= 4 March 2016 }} The couple has four children.{{cite web|title=Henry Bostwick bio|url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/bostwick_henry.asp|website=Caribbean Elections|publisher=KnowledgeWalk Institute|access-date=12 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113001227/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/bostwick_henry.asp|archive-date=13 November 2017|location=Bridgetown, Barbados|date=2008}}

References

Sources

{{cite book|last=Sleeman|first=Elizabeth|title=The International Who's Who of Women 2002|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J8xDWDqOkEC&pg=PA70|year=2001|publisher=Europa Publications|location=London|isbn=978-1-85743-122-3}}

Category:1939 births

Category:Living people

Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Bahamian women's rights activists

Category:Members of the Senate of the Bahamas

Category:People from Nassau, Bahamas

Category:Female foreign ministers

Category:20th-century Bahamian women politicians

Category:Women diplomats for the Bahamas

Category:20th-century Bahamian politicians

Category:21st-century Bahamian women politicians

Category:21st-century Bahamian politicians