In 1959, Caymanian women gained the right to vote for the first time, a hard-won victory that followed years of organising by women who saw political participation as essential to shaping the islands’ future. That same decade, Annie Huldah Bodden began studying law by correspondence while working as a secretary, eventually becoming the Cayman Islands’ first female lawyer and, later, its first female parliamentarian. These two facts — the suffrage breakthrough and a single woman’s determination to enter a male-dominated profession — mark the beginning of a lineage that runs straight through to today’s Honouring Women Month, an annual March observance now in its 27th year.
From the suffragettes of the 1950s to today’s changemakers in STEM, politics, business, healthcare and community leadership, the Cayman Islands has cultivated a proud lineage of women who have broken barriers in male-dominated spaces and paved the way for generations to come.
Honouring Women Month was launched in 1999 by then Governor John Owen and originally spearheaded by the Women’s Resource Centre, which later merged with two other government entities to form the Family Resource Centre (FRC). The month-long programme includes public events, a video series honouring women who embody the annual theme, and fundraising that directly supports the Young Parents Services programme for parents aged 13 to 25. But the celebration is not simply a feel-good gesture — it exists because barriers remain, and the women it honours represent a history of pushing against those barriers that is still unfolding.
Honouring Women Month is a national recognition of Caymanian women’s contributions across every sector, from law and emergency services to business and cultural festivals. It also functions as a practical support system — proceeds fund parenting, life-skills, and employability programmes for young parents. The celebration is both retrospective and forward-looking, acknowledging that gender equity in the Cayman Islands is an ongoing, collective effort.
| Trailblazer | Field | Key Achievement | Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Huldah Bodden | Law & Politics | First female lawyer and parliamentarian in Cayman; first woman awarded an OBE | 1950s–1970s |
| Marie Martin | Community leadership | Recognised as a trailblazer in community work and advocacy | Late 20th century |
| Estella Scott-Roberts | Women’s advocacy | Key figure in women’s rights and community organising | Late 20th century |
| Olive Miller | Community & Education | Long-serving community leader and educator | Late 20th century |
| Tina Ebanks | Emergency services | Cayman’s first female firefighter | 2000s–present |
| Donna Myrie | Business & Culture | Founded Le Classique (1983); Miss Cayman Islands 1981; developed Cayman Carnival Batabano | 1980s–present |
The Roots of Honouring Women Month
International Women’s Day is observed globally on 8 March. The Cayman Islands extends that recognition across the entire month, a decision that reflects the depth and breadth of women’s contributions to the nation. Honouring Women Month, now in its 27th year, was launched in 1999 by then Governor John Owen and originally spearheaded by the Women’s Resource Centre, which later merged with two other government entities to form the Family Resource Centre. The FRC, a government unit within the Department of Counselling Services, coordinates and delivers Honouring Women Month events annually.
The 2026 theme, #GiveToGain, centres on reciprocity and collective action. Charmaine Miller, clinical supervisor at the FRC, explained that the theme “speaks to the power of collective action” and noted that Cayman has “a rich culture of generosity, where most people can point to a moment when a loved one, neighbour, or friend was lifted because others chose to rally around them.” The 2026 calendar includes InspireHER: Women Inspiring Girls in partnership with Rise Girls, a Power of Giving video series, the #GiveToGain International Women’s Day Celebration at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman on 20 March, and the Colour Me Purple 5K at West Bay Public Beach on 22 March.
Trailblazers Across Generations
The women honoured during the month span multiple generations and fields. Annie Huldah Bodden remains a foundational figure: she became the Cayman Islands’ first female lawyer and later its first female parliamentarian, and was the first woman from the islands awarded an OBE. Tina Ebanks, Cayman’s first female firefighter, represents a more recent generation of women entering roles long considered male. Tamara Ebanks, chief officer for the Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability, noted that trailblazers like Ebanks “inspire younger generations” and that support programmes help “women and girls access the support and networks they need to thrive.”
If you are in Grand Cayman during March, attend the Colour Me Purple 5K at West Bay Public Beach. It is a family-friendly run that directly raises funds for young parents’ programmes. Wear purple — the colour is associated with International Women’s Day and women’s rights movements globally.
Marie Martin, Estella Scott-Roberts, and Olive Miller are also recognised as trailblazers, though published records offer fewer specific details about their individual contributions. This asymmetry in documentation is itself a pattern worth noting — the further back one goes, the thinner the paper trail becomes for women whose work was often community-based and less likely to be recorded in official archives. The stories that survive matter all the more for being partial.
Donna Myrie: From Miss Cayman to Cultural Institution
Few individuals illustrate the breadth of Caymanian women’s influence as clearly as Donna Myrie. A ninth-generation Caymanian, Myrie founded Le Classique in 1983 at age 22 as a shoe and leather boutique. The store became a Caymanian institution — during her first week of opening, Anna Rose Washburn purchased a Land wallet and continued as a customer for 43 years. Myrie has described resilience, persistence, and creativity as the cornerstones of her career. Facing challenges in securing financing, her father co-signed her first loan.
Winning Miss Cayman Islands in 1981 at age 19 was a defining moment that gave her the confidence to step into the public eye. She travelled to purchase her pageant wardrobe and famously bought 15 pairs of shoes instead of an evening gown — a detail she often shares as a reminder of her early instincts as a retailer. Beyond her business, Myrie was instrumental in developing Cayman Carnival Batabano, introducing J’ouvert and Junior Batabano and securing West Bay Road and Seven Mile Beach as the official parade route. Her first carnival experience in Trinidad was transformative, and her long-time friendship with carnival musician Byron Lee inspired her commitment to bringing the tradition to Cayman.
A common outsider assumption is that Caymanian women’s achievements are recent or driven primarily by expatriate influence. In fact, women like Donna Myrie and Annie Huldah Bodden are ninth-generation and first-generation professionals respectively, rooted in long-standing Caymanian families and traditions. The narrative of women’s leadership in Cayman is indigenous, not imported.
Myrie draws inspiration from pioneering Caymanian women such as Annie Huldah Bodden, and from her father Edward Myrie, a seaman who later worked as an engineer, butcher, contractor, developer, and businessman. She is now developing a Cayman-inspired leather line, blending craftsmanship with cultural identity. Her story ties together entrepreneurship, pageantry, carnival, and cultural preservation — a combination that resists easy categorisation and reflects the multifaceted nature of Caymanian women’s leadership.
Generations of Leadership: Comparing Eras and Approaches
The women recognised during Honouring Women Month represent different eras, and the challenges they faced shifted significantly across the decades. A comparison of three generations reveals both continuity and change.
| Generation | Representative Figure | Primary Barrier | Strategy | Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneers (1950s–1970s) | Annie Huldah Bodden | Legal and political exclusion; no female role models in law or parliament | Correspondence study; entering institutions that barred women | First female lawyer and parliamentarian; OBE |
| Institution-builders (1980s–2000s) | Donna Myrie | Financing a business as a young woman; introducing carnival traditions | Family co-signing loans; leveraging pageant platform; partnership with Byron Lee | Le Classique; Cayman Carnival Batabano |
| Contemporary leaders (2000s–present) | Tina Ebanks | Entering a male-dominated emergency service | Training and service in firefighting; visibility as first female firefighter | Inspiration for younger women in uniformed services |
The Honouring Women Month events are coordinated by the Family Resource Centre, which also provides free, evidence-based parenting programmes year-round. The 2026 theme #GiveToGain was chosen to reflect the reciprocal nature of community support — a concept that Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment and Sustainability, described as requiring “both recognition and responsibility.”
- Caymanian women’s leadership spans law, firefighting, business, carnival, education, and community work — no single field defines it.
- Honouring Women Month is both celebratory and functional: its events fund Young Parents Services, directly supporting the next generation.
- The history of women’s achievements in Cayman is partially documented, and the gaps in the record are themselves instructive about which contributions were formally recognised.
Questions Readers Ask
What is Honouring Women Month in the Cayman Islands?
Honouring Women Month is a national observance each March that celebrates Caymanian women’s achievements and draws attention to gender-specific challenges. It was launched in 1999 and is coordinated by the Family Resource Centre within the Department of Counselling Services.
The month includes public events, a video series, and fundraising that supports the Young Parents Services programme for parents aged 13 to 25. The 2026 theme is #GiveToGain.
Who are some notable Caymanian women in history?
Annie Huldah Bodden was the first female lawyer and parliamentarian in the Cayman Islands and the first woman awarded an OBE. Tina Ebanks became the first female firefighter. Donna Myrie founded Le Classique and helped develop Cayman Carnival Batabano.
Marie Martin, Estella Scott-Roberts, and Olive Miller are also recognised as trailblazers, though less detailed public records exist for their individual contributions.
When did Caymanian women get the right to vote?
Caymanian women gained the right to vote in 1959, following organising by women’s suffrage advocates in the 1950s. This milestone is referenced as the starting point of the modern lineage of Caymanian women’s political participation.
Annie Huldah Bodden entered the legal profession around the same period, becoming the first female lawyer in the islands.
How can visitors participate in Honouring Women Month?
Visitors in Grand Cayman during March can attend the Colour Me Purple 5K at West Bay Public Beach, the International Women’s Day Celebration at Hotel Indigo, or InspireHER events. These are open to the public.
Proceeds from these events support young parents’ programmes. Wearing purple to events is a recognised gesture of solidarity with International Women’s Day traditions.
Is gender equity still a challenge in the Cayman Islands?
Yes. Honouring Women Month exists precisely because barriers remain. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment and Sustainability, stated that the month is “a powerful reminder that gender equity requires both recognition and responsibility.”
The FRC’s Young Parents Services programme addresses specific challenges faced by young mothers and fathers, including access to education, employment, and childcare.
What the Stories of Caymanian Women Reveal
The women celebrated during Honouring Women Month — from Annie Huldah Bodden’s legal career to Donna Myrie’s leather boutique and carnival legacy, from Tina Ebanks’s firefighting to the community work of Marie Martin, Estella Scott-Roberts, and Olive Miller — share a common thread that is easy to overlook. None of them waited for permission. They studied by correspondence when law schools would not admit them, co-signed loans when banks would not lend, introduced carnival traditions when none existed, and entered fire stations where no woman had worn the uniform before. The pattern is not one of gradual institutional reform but of individual determination that reshaped the institutions themselves.
Honouring Women Month, now in its 27th year, institutionalises that recognition. But the month is not a conclusion — it is a framework for ongoing work, funded by the very events that celebrate it. The stories are not finished, and the next generation of Caymanian women is being supported into leadership through the programmes that Honouring Women Month sustains. For a deeper look at how Caymanian traditions are being preserved across generations, read our piece on silversmithing in Cayman, where a different kind of intergenerational transmission — craft — tells a parallel story of continuity and adaptation.
Sources and further reading
Cayman Compass. “Family Resource Centre marks Honouring Women Month with Give to Gain activities.” 2026. 🔗
Cayman Independent. “Cayman celebrates strength, purpose and womanhood.” 2026. 🔗
Cayman Islands Government. “FRC marks Honouring Women Month with Give to Gain.” 2026. 🔗
Cayman Compass. “Queen of Leather reflects on her journey.” 2026. 🔗
Related reading on IslandHopperGuides
Sustainable Cayman: Preserving Culture and Environment for Future Generations — explores how cultural preservation and environmental stewardship intersect in the Cayman Islands.
Celebrating Craftsmanship: Meet Cayman Islands’ Local Artisans — profiles contemporary makers and the traditions they carry forward.
Cayman’s Storytellers: Preserving Oral Traditions in a Modern World — examines how narrative traditions are kept alive across generations.
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