Beverley Manley Duncan honoured by PNP Women’s Movement
Published:Thursday | March 27, 2025 | 11:27 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
At age 83, Beverley Manley Duncan still stood tall as she soaked up the admiration of family and friends beneath the chandeliers at Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, St James, where she was honoured by the People’s National Party (PNP) Women’s Movement last Saturday.
Manley Duncan, who is revered for her trailblazing advocacy on behalf of the nation’s women, commanded full attention, with her voice steady as she expressed profound gratitude as tributes flowed her way.
“This honour… to be alive at 83 and to see this – not many people get that,” she said, her tone both proud and introspective. “But let me tell you, whatever you set out to do, make sure you build a team around you. You can’t do it alone.”
The evening was charged with nostalgia, reverence, and political fire as speaker after speaker reflected on the enduring legacy of a woman who refused to sit pretty during her tenure as ‘First Lady’ and instead rolled up her sleeves, stepping into the trenches of Jamaica’s gender struggles and class battles.
“She chose to use her role in a more meaningful way,” said her stepdaughter and current PNP Women’s Movement President Patricia Duncan-Sutherland, her voice thick with emotion. “Not just with her grace, not just with her beauty, but through her ability to mobilise … . She created a platform that changed this country.”
The movement, launched in the late 1970s under Manley Duncan’s leadership, was instrumental in the passage of the 1979 Maternity Leave Act. It campaigned tirelessly for equal pay and became a formidable political force within the PNP.
“It was the heartbeat of the party,” said Professor Anthony Bogues in his tribute. “Some of the most progressive policies came through the work of the Women’s Movement and the YO (PNP Youth Organisation).”
LIFE-CHANGING CONVERSATION
Bogues shared a deeply personal memory of the early 1980s when he found himself jobless after a political shake-up. One night, a chance conversation with Manley Duncan and Dr DK Duncan changed the course of his life.
“We talked from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.,” he recalled. “They said, ‘We are trying to rebuild the PNP as a mass democratic party. Will you join us?’ I never did that PhD I was about to start at The UWI (University of the West Indies). I joined the movement instead.”
As Manley Duncan took the stage to accept her award, she oscillated between humour and hard truths, recalling her early broadcasting days, teasing PNP President Mark Golding about his “big feet” as a youth, and calling out the current political climate.
“This tribal thing … we have to let it go,” she urged.
“We’ve had fantastic leaders. Why pretend nothing good came before?” she stated, sending a clear message to those she claimed have been trying to recreate history.
Her message wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. It was a call to arms. “Every conversation I have now, in an elevator, overseas, anywhere, must end with convincing someone to support the PNP before September 2025,” she declared, eyes blazing.
Duncan-Sutherland’s voice cracked as she reflected on the personal side of their relationship.
“I wasn’t always a feminist,” she admitted. “I didn’t have to be because Bev had already stood up for me. But now I know – we still have work to do. And we are blessed to continue that work with her legacy as our guide.”
As the evening wound down, there was no mistaking it: this was not just a tribute, it was a renewal. A recommitment to a movement born from passion, sacrifice, and vision, and to a woman who still, after all these years, refuses to sit quietly on the sidelines.