Mia Mottley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mia Mottley
SC MP
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Mottley in 2021
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| 8th Prime Minister of Barbados | |
| Assumed office 25 May 2018 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II (until 2021) |
| President | Sandra Mason (since 2021) |
| Governor-General | Sandra Mason (until 2021) |
| Deputy | Santia Bradshaw (since 2022) |
| Preceded by | Freundel Stuart |
| 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados | |
| In office 26 May 2003 – 15 January 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Owen Arthur |
| Preceded by | Billie Miller |
| Succeeded by | Freundel Stuart |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 26 February 2013 – 25 May 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Freundel Stuart |
| Preceded by | Owen Arthur |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Atherley |
| In office 7 February 2008 – 18 October 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | David Thompson |
| Preceded by | David Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Owen Arthur |
| Member of Parliament for Saint Michael North East |
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| Assumed office 6 September 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Leroy Brathwaite |
| Majority | 3,243 (62.1%) |
| Chairwoman of the Caribbean Community | |
| In office 1 January 2025 – 31 June 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Dickon Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Holness |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 October 1965 Barbados |
| Political party | Barbados Labour Party |
| Relations | Eva Mottley (cousin) |
| Residence | Ilaro Court (2018–present) |
| Education | Merrivale Preparatory School; United Nations International School; Queen's College (Barbados) |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics (LLB) |
Mia Amor Mottley (born 1 October 1965) is a very important politician from Barbados. She has been the eighth prime minister of Barbados since 2018. She is also the leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) since 2008. Mia Mottley is the first woman to hold both of these powerful positions in Barbados.
She also led Barbados into becoming a republic. This meant that Barbados changed from having the Queen of England as its head of state to having its own president. This big change happened because of new laws she helped create.
Mia Mottley has been a Member of Parliament for the area of Saint Michael North East since 1994. Before becoming Prime Minister, she held many important jobs in the government. She was even the first woman to be the Attorney-General of Barbados, which is like the country's chief lawyer.
In 2018, her party, the BLP, won a huge election victory. They won every single seat in the House of Assembly! This was a historic moment for Barbados. She won again in 2022, showing strong support from the people. She is currently the longest-serving female leader of a country.
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Early Life and Education
Mia Mottley comes from a family with a history in politics. Her grandfather, Ernest Deighton Mottley, was a successful politician. He was the first Mayor of Bridgetown, the capital city of Barbados. He also helped Barbados become independent in 1966.
Her father, Elliott Deighton Mottley, was also a lawyer and politician. He served in the House of Assembly and later became a consul-general in New York.
Mia Mottley went to several schools, including Merrivale Preparatory School and Queen's College (Barbados). She then studied law at the London School of Economics and the University of London. She earned her law degree in 1986.
Political Journey
Mia Mottley first got involved in Barbadian politics in 1991. Even though she didn't win her first election, she became an Opposition Senator. This meant she worked in the Upper House of Parliament, speaking for the opposition party.
Becoming a Minister
In 1994, her party won the election. Mia Mottley was then made the Minister of Education, Youth Affairs, and Culture. She was only 29 years old, making her one of the youngest ministers in Barbados's history. During this time, she helped write an important plan for education called Each Child Matters. This plan focused on how good education helps people find fulfilling jobs.
She also became the general secretary of the Barbados Labour Party in 1996.
In 2001, she became the Attorney-General of Barbados and Minister of Home Affairs. She was the first woman in Barbados to hold this position. She was also the youngest person to become a Queen's Counsel, which is a special title for experienced lawyers. She helped create the "EduTech" program, which aimed to improve education using technology.
Two years later, in 2003, Mia Mottley became the second female Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados. She was in charge of important economic and social plans for the country.
Leading the Opposition
After her party lost the election in 2008, Mia Mottley was chosen as the leader of the Barbados Labour Party. This made her the first woman to lead the party and the country's first female Leader of the Opposition. She promised to be a strong voice for the people.
However, in 2010, she lost her position as Leader of the Opposition for a short time. But in 2013, after another election, she was re-elected as Leader of the Opposition.
Becoming Prime Minister
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On 24 May 2018, Mia Mottley's party won a massive victory in the general election. They won all 30 seats in the Parliament, which was a historic achievement! On 25 May 2018, she was sworn in as Barbados's first female Prime Minister. She also took on the role of Minister of Finance.
After the election, one Member of Parliament, Joseph Atherley, left her party to become the only opposition member. This meant he became the Leader of the Opposition.
When she became Prime Minister, Mia Mottley announced that Barbados had a very large national debt. Her government had to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help manage this debt.
In 2019, her father, Elliott Mottley, received a special honour from the Barbadian government.
Mia Mottley has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly several times. In 2019, she gave a speech about climate change and how it affects Barbados and other Caribbean nations. In 2020, she also served as the Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a group of Caribbean countries.
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Barbados Becomes a Republic
In 2020, Mia Mottley's government announced a plan to make Barbados a republic. This meant removing Queen Elizabeth II as the country's head of state. Mia Mottley believed it was time for Barbados to "fully leave our colonial past behind" after more than 54 years of independence.
The plan was for Barbados to become a parliamentary republic, with a president as its head of state, by 30 November 2021. This date marked the 55th anniversary of Barbados's independence.
On 12 October 2021, the current Governor-General, Dame Sandra Mason, was chosen to be the country's first president. She officially took office on 30 November 2021.
In September 2021, Mia Mottley gave another powerful speech at the United Nations. She spoke about the need for global leadership to fight climate change, inequality, racism, and unfair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Second Term and Global Role
After her party won all 30 seats again in the 2022 Barbadian general election, Mia Mottley was sworn in for her second term as Prime Minister on 20 January 2022.
In June 2022, it was reported that she had a mild case of COVID-19 and was doing well.
Mia Mottley has also become a strong voice on the world stage, especially concerning climate change and global finance. In July 2022, she led a meeting in Barbados with leaders from the United Nations and International Monetary Fund. From this meeting came the "Bridgetown Agenda," which offers ideas to change the international financial system to help fight climate change.
She has given important speeches, including the Kofi Annan Memorial Lecture in 2022 and the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in November 2022. In September 2024, she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly again, focusing on how global conflicts distract from the urgent need to fight climate change and diseases.
In February 2025, she spoke at the African Union Summit, encouraging Africa and the Caribbean to work more closely together.
Awards and Honours
Mia Mottley has received many awards and honours for her work:
- From Kenya: The Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (2019).
- From Guyana: The Order of Roraima (2020).
- From Venezuela: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator (2023).
- From Suriname: Grand Cordon of the Ere-Orde van de Palm (2025).
Other Recognitions
- She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Champions of the Earth in 2021.
- In December 2020, she was named Person of the Year by Caribbean National Weekly.
- In May 2022, she was on the cover of TIME magazine, the first Barbadian to achieve this. She was also named one of "The 100 Most Influential People of 2022" for her work on climate change.
- In November 2022, the United Nations Foundation gave her a Global Leadership Award as a "Champion for Global Change."
- In December 2022, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women list and the Financial Times list of "The FT's 25 most influential women of 2022."
- In 2023, she was on the Forbes list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women."
See also
In Spanish: Mia Mottley para niños
