Is it about time for Kamla?

Woman time now? Kamla Persad-Bissessar

We don't discuss politics much on Islandista, namely because women are still quite under-represented in our regional houses of assembly, so there's not as much to discuss as we'd like.

And quite often, where women aren't under-represented, they are undermined. There have been many capable and intelligent Caribbean female politicians who have waited and waited in the shadows of charismatic male political leaders/mentors to get their chance at leadership, only to be undermined in some way or form - usually by the same mentor who can't let go of power.

Former Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller knows all about it. Barbados' Opposition Leader Mia Mottley is now learning about it.

But Trinidad & Tobago's Opposition MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar could write the book on it.

Another soca mummy - Destra pregnant

Wha de jail...!

How on earth did we at islandista miss this?

Soca songbird Destra Garcia is joining the line of soca mummies as she is pregnant with her first child.

She revealed this in an interview with the Trinidad Express last week.

She told the Express she did not even realise she was pregnant for a while as she "always had a bit of an iregular cycle" and she had no morning sickness.

However, she did notice that she had become a bit more bountiful up top, as she had gone up by two bra cup sizes.

The father to be is her long-time boyfriend, Brian Morris, who is the sound engineer for her band, Atlantik. He says the couple is planning marriage to go with baby in the "not too distant future".

However, like the other soca mummies - Alison Hinds, Denyse Belfon and most recently, Fay-Ann Lyons, Destra does not seem to intend to stop performing.

At a recent show at Adam Smith Square in Woodbrook, Saucy Wow coached Destra on how to do de wickedest preggers wine, much to the delight of all the fans.

The baby is due in January 2010 - right, right before Carnival 2010 and it will be interesting to see how Destra copes with the public pressure that is sure to come to bear on her.

You know how we West Indians like to act like pregnancy is a illness that requires a woman to be bed-ridden.

In the meantime, we at Islandista offer our congrats to the mummy to be!

Rihanna in blackface & Islandistas on I-D cover

Islandistas are all over the place for the September round of fashion magazines.

Islandistas Jourdan Dunn and Arlenis are featured on the cover of the September issue of I-D magazine, along with fellow models of colour Chanel Iman and Sessilee Lopez in a historic all-black cover.

Jourdan, who is five months pregnant (reportedly with a boy), spoke about her baby's father, the pressures on minority models and how she has finally become comfortable with not having the type of body prized in the Afro-Caribbean community.

About her boyfriend:

My boyfriend didn't even know I was a model when I started going out with him and we've been together for three years now. It's hard, you never really know whether people want to be around Jourdan or Jourdan Dunn, and he's been there from when I was just Jourdan.

About her body:

“I’m starting to feel more secure in who I am now. Being from an Afro-Caribbean family, being black, skinny, isn’t really acceptable in that community; it’s all about having curves and stuff.... That’s why I’ve never been comfortable with my body until now, when I realize I can say this is who I am, I’m healthy, I’ve always liked to eat, and I’m now happy enough in my own skin to not give a fuck what anyone says about me any more.

About the pressures on black models:

There are loads of black models working and the idea that there's only a few of us, or four of us, to let in as top models at any one time is just bullsh*t. It creates an unnecessary competition when we should be standing together.

True talk Jourdan. Pity Naomi didn't recognise this back in the day and was so mean to Tyra.

In other islandista fashion magazine news, we have more pics from Rihanna's shoot for the couture supplement of Vogue Italia.

And... we're on the fence about it.

Like I said...

In my post of May 15th I commented about the issue of the scrutiny and criticism that many female politicians get over their appearances. At the time I said:

Personally, I think considering that is now established that women are outstripping men professionally, academically and financially, we can finally finish with this foolishness of trying to look like one of the guys to be taken seriously. It is just fine to look like a woman and embrace style and attractive cuts and colours because woman a run tings now more than ever and that trend is only set to continue. So the dictates of professional style should be set by and looked at from a feminine perspective.

Maybe it's just a coincidence but ... look!

I happened across this pic of Barbadian Opposition Leader Mia Mottley this morning when I was surfing the regional papers.

Considering that her look before was more like...



 

This is an interesting change. Though I must say I always prefer natural hair to straightened hair.

Interesting thoughts on feminism and femininity

I came across this in the UK Guardian a little while ago, in a Q&A with Nancy Dell'Olio (most famous for being the girlfriend of former England football coach and current but-soon-to-be-sacked Manchester City coach Sven Goran Eriksson).

This one comment jumped out at me:

" Are you a feminist?

I am new feminist. New feminists feel we are the same as men, but we have something men do not - our femininity. We are much more powerful than men and that's what women have to realise; that's why men are scared. I want to have equality, but I want to keep my privilege - they have to open the door of my car. I want to use my feminine side. "