Breaking the Glass Ceiling

The Stories of Three Caribbean Nurses

Breaking the Glass Ceiling documents the achievements of three leaders in Caribbean nurshing at the time of the nascent struggle for indigenous leadership in all areas of West Indian society. It is a narrative of the lives of three extraordinary women who gained both regional and international recognition: Dame Nita Barrow of Barbados, Berenice Dolly of Trinidad and Tobago, and Dr. Mary Sievwright of Jamaica. A feminist and colonialist theoretical perspective is used for the exploration of political, social and economic structures of the societies prior and during the nurses' era in order to provide a context for their achievements and contributions.

They were bright, black women who embraced each challenge that came their way as an opportunity for growth. This growth was not for personal gain or self-aggrandizement but for the good of womankind and the nursing profession...The single common distinguishing feature of these three women was their selfless devotion to service. They worked relentlessly to improve the image of nursing, the nursing profession, and the status of women. Each one did so in her own unique way, and each had a deep, abiding religious faith. Their stories depict their different approaches to their service to women generally and nursing specifically, whether it was in the international arena, in the Caribbean setting or in their own native land.

They were outstanding role models. They rose to prominence in a society in which racism, gender and class distinctions existed and did so with continued vitality and political savvy then most women at the time. They defied tradition within a traditional woman's occupation. They blazed the way for black women and nurses in particular to reach for the top. They were the first black women in nursing in the Caribbean to receive national and international acclaim, albeit not all to the same extent, and were the acknowledged role models for black nurses and women in the region.