In what has been described as a true breakthrough for gender equality in the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland of Dominica takes office today as the sixth secretary general since the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in 1965.
She replaces Kamalesh Sharma of India, whose eight-year tenure has come to an end.
Mrs Scotland has singled out human rights, human development, gender equality and fights against migration, violent extremism, domestic violence and climate change as the topics which top her agenda at the top of the English-speaking organisation.
Baroness Patricia Scotland was born in Dominica in 1955, and then moved with her family to Britain. She obtained her LLB in 1976, was called to the Bar in 1977 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991. She received a life peerage and was created Baroness Scotland of Asthal in 1997. Baroness Scotland has held the position of Attorney General (2007 to 2010), Minister of State (Home Office) (Crime Reduction) (2007 to 2007), Minister of State (Home Office) (Criminal Justice and Offender Management) (2003 to 2007), and Parliamentary Secretary (Lord Chancellor’s Department) (2001 to 2003) in government.
It is the first time in history that the two organisations – Commonwealth and Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie – to which Seychelles belongs are headed by women.
The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie’s secretary general is Michaëlle Jean and she was in Seychelles earlier this week as part of her visit to countries in the Indian Ocean.
Source : Seychelles NATION