MARCH 28 marked the 7th death anniversary of Mrs. Janet Jagan, nee Rosenberg. Mrs. Jagan is the only woman to have been elected President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. While women around the world, including in developed societies, are still struggling to break the proverbial glass ceiling, Guyana, a small and young nation, has distinguished itself in this regard.Mrs. Jagan migrated to Guyana from the USA in December 1943 to join her husband, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
Mrs. Jagan loved literature and the arts. She was a prolific writer in the media; was editor of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) organ, the Mirror; and edited the party’s publication, the Thunder. She also wrote children’s books, and was an avid admirer of local poetry and arts.
Her passion for politics cannot be over-emphasised. She stood out as a beacon in the fight against colonialism, using the workers’ and women’s platforms as a vehicle.

It was that era that saw her joining and working with the trade union movement; and moreso, in 1946, co-founded the Women’s Political and Economic Organisation, along with Winifred Gaskin and Frances Stafford, and served as General Secretary.

In 1948, when sugar workers on the East Coast Demerara estates downed tools in protest of poor working conditions, and were shot by the colonial police, Mrs. Jagan was among those who staged protests against the killings and injuries those workers had suffered. She was part of the group that highlighted the gravity of the workers’ deprivation and their inhumane treatment. This protestation led to the colonial authority establishing a commission to inquire into the circumstances that led to the shooting of workers.

This incident was another act of galvanising Guyanese around the necessity that the workers’ struggles can be given fillip through the establishment of a political movement. In 1949, this led to the formation of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), of which Mrs. Jagan was among its founders. In January 1950, the PAC morphed into a political party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), of which she was a co-founder, and held the position of General Secretary (1950-1970).  This was Guyana’s first mass-based party.

The PPP’s strength was borne out in the fact that, in addition to being a political outfit challenging the colonial status quo and advancing the cause of the masses, it embraced the working class principles adumbrated in 1926 at the Caribbean Labour Leaders Conference, and reflected the involvement of women, youth, the experienced and Labour.

The fight for universal adult suffrage, which started with the labour movement in 1926, was embraced by the PPP. This was achieved in time to contest the 1953 elections. Mrs. Jagan contested, and won a seat in the 1953 elections, representing the Essequibo constituency. This was achieved after residing in Guyana for 10 years. She went on to hold distinguished positions such as minister and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

Prior to this, Mrs. Jagan was elected to the Georgetown City Council in 1950.

When she assumed office as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing, she found an inequity in treatment towards women. At that time female nurses, married or unmarried, were not permitted to get pregnant and still retain their profession. Minister Jagan removed this discrimination, and thereafter made it possible for women to continue their profession and raise a family that included children.

In 1963, she became Minister of Home Affairs on the death of Minister Claude Christian, and resigned from the Cabinet in 1964 during the period of racial disturbances.

By 1992, Mrs. Jagan had served 46 years in the National Assembly.

With the change of Government, when the PPP won the October 1992 elections, Dr. Cheddi Jagan became President, and Mrs. Jagan, the First Lady, was appointed minister without portfolio in that administration. During this period, she served for three months as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

At the death of President Jagan in 1997, she ascended to the position of Prime Minister and First Vice President for the remaining life of the 1992 government.

At the 1997 General and Regional Elections, Mrs. Jagan was elected president in an elections that witnessed an extended period of streets protests. These elections were challenged in the High Court and, in 2000, were vitiated and nullified, with an order given to hold fresh elections.

It was this era that led to the signing of the Herdmanston Accord (17th January 1998) and St. Lucia Statement (2nd July 1998) between Mrs. Jagan and former President and then Leader of the Opposition, Desmond Hoyte, which resulted in constitutional reform.

Mrs. Jagan was among the women and men who fought for this nation’s independence, and arguably can be described as one of the mothers of this nation, which was birthed on 26th May 1966.

Though she is seen as one of Guyana’s controversial political figures, her contributions need to be made known, truthfully and honestly contextualised, and acknowledged as part of the nation’s ethos.