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The Prime Ministers of Dominica
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Dame Mary Eugenia Charles (July 1980 - June 1995)

The first Caribbean woman Prime Minister was swept to power in 1980. She would go on to win an unprecedented three five-year terms as the country's leader. During the 1975 elections,she had won the Roseau Central seat and become the Leader of the Opposition.

Under her leadership, Dominica recorded its highest rates of economic growth due in large part to the dominance of bananas, which was completely rehabilitated after hurricane David.

She was born in the village of Pointe Michel on May 15,1919. Later she moved to Canada to study law and was called to the Bar at Inner Temple, London in 1949. She later returned to Dominica to start a private practice.

In 1984 while serving as Chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), she invited the United States president Ronald Reagan to invade Grenada. Based on her style of leadership, she was referred to as the "Iron Lady of the Caribbean".

In 1991 she was knighted as Dame of the Order of Bath by Queen Elizabeth II at Harare, Zimbabwe during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference.

During her tenure, she failed to name a successor and resigned from active politics shortly before the elections of 1990. Her party was roundly defeated and ten years later, it is still struggling to maintain its place within Dominica's political arena.

On September 7, 2005, Dame Eugenia died at a Martinique hospital while undergoing treatment for a dislocated hip. She was buried one week later in her home village of Pointe Mitchel.