米亚·莫特利

Mia Amor Mottley (born 1 October 1965) is a Barbadian politician and lawyer who has served as the eighth prime minister of Barbados since 2018 and as Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) since 2008. Mottley is the first woman to hold both positions. Having overseen the abolition of the Barbadian monarchy, she is the first prime minister of the Barbadian republic.

Mottley has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Saint Michael North East since 1994. From 1994 to 2008, she held a succession of ministerial portfolios, including the post of Attorney-General of Barbados, becoming the first woman to be so appointed.

Mottley was twice the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly of Barbados; first from 2008 to 2010, then from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, her party won a historic landslide victory in the 24 May general election, securing all 30 seats in the House and 72.8% of the popular vote in the most successful election performance in Barbadian political history. In the 2022 general election, the BLP again won all 30 seats in the legislature. Mottley won a third term in the 2026 general election, with her party claiming all 30 seats for a third consecutive landslide victory. As of 2026, she is the longest-serving sitting female head of state or government in the world.

Early life, family and education

Mottley was born in Bridgetown and is the granddaughter of Ernest Deighton Mottley (1907–1973), a real estate broker and successful politician particularly at the parish level. He was the first Mayor of Bridgetown (1959), representing Bridgetown in the House of Assembly from 1946, who belonged to the conservative Barbados National Party. He was granted the Ordinary Commander of the Civil Division for public services in Barbados in June 1962 and assisted Wynter Algernon Crawford (1910–1993), Barbados's Trade Minister, at the Independent Conference in London during June and July 1966.

Mottley's uncle, also named Ernest Deighton Mottley, became the political leader of the short-lived Christian Social Democratic Party (CSD) created in March 1975. Her cousin was the actress Eva Mottley.

Political career

Mottley first entered Barbadian politics in 1991, when she lost an election race in St. Michael North East against Leroy Brathwaite (a defeat of fewer than 200 votes). Between 1991 and 1994, she was one of two Opposition Senators in the Upper House, Senate of Barbados, where she was Shadow Minister of Culture and Community Development. During that time, she served on numerous Parliamentary Joint Select Committees on areas including Praedial Larceny and Domestic Violence.

Following the BLP's victory in the 1994 Barbadian general election, Mottley was appointed the minister of education, youth affairs and culture in September 1994, under Prime Minister Owen Arthur. At the age of 29, she was one of the youngest Barbadians to be assigned a ministerial portfolio.……

Honours and awards

• Mottley is a recipient of the following honours:
• Kenya:

Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (2019)

Guyana:

Order of Roraima of Guyana (2020)

Venezuela:

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator (2023)

Suriname:

Grand Cordon of the Ere-Orde van de Palm (2025)

Others

Lifetime Achievement Award (Champions of the Earth) in 2021.

In December 2020, Mottley was named Person of the Year by Caribbean National Weekly, along with Oliver Mair.

In May 2022, Mottley was featured on the cover of TIME magazine, the first Barbadian to do so, and was named one of "The 100 Most Influential People of 2022", in recognition of her outspoken advocacy for addressing climate change.