Leslie Miller Little Young Girl

The Political Little Young Girl of Leslie Miller

Leslie Miller and His 'Little Young Girl'

Leslie Miller and His 'little young girl' Politics

Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis responds: Former PLP Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller has chosen to describe me as a “little young girl.”  Let me say this directly: I am a 43-year-old woman.  I have practiced law for nearly two decades, called to the Bar of The Bahamas and the Bar of England & Wales in 2007.  I am a Senator of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, a mother, and a public servant.

For a former Cabinet Minister to belittle me in this way is not only disrespectful to me, it is disrespectful to every Bahamian woman who has worked hard, earned her place, and stepped forward to serve.  This is misogyny, plain and simple.  And it is exactly this type of tired, small-minded thinking that has held The Bahamas back for far too long.

The FNM has made a deliberate choice to bring forward a new generation of leaders.  A younger, fresher, and more diverse slate that includes more women than ever before.  We are stepping forward to represent every Bahamian, to bring new ideas, and to build a future that is not trapped by the prejudices of the past.

The PLP wants you to believe that women cannot lead.  I wonder if they would use this same language about their own women Members of Parliament.  If not, then why do they believe it is acceptable when speaking about me?

Bahamian women are not “little girls.”  We are leaders, professionals, mothers, and nation-builders.  We will not be dismissed with a phrase or pushed aside by men who believe they alone should decide the course of this country.

To every woman and every girl watching this, know this: your contributions matter, your voice matters, and your leadership matters.  This moment is proof of why the fight for respect and equality in politics must continue.  And this is exactly why I am running to represent Killarney.

The Bahamas deserves better than this backward rhetoric.  We deserve leadership that debates ideas on merit, not on gender.  That is the standard I will uphold, and that is the change I will fight for.

Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis