Gracita Arrindell (born 4 March 1956) is a politician of Sint Maarten, writer and women's rights activist, who was the first

President of the Parliament of Sint Maarten The president of the Parliament of Sint Maarten () is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Sint Maarten. According to Article 8 of the Rules of Order of Parliament the president presides over the sittings of the House and enforces the rules p ...

, a role she held for two non-consecutive terms.

Biography

Born in

Curaçao Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela. Curaçao includ ...

, she was awarded an MA degree in political science from the Catholic University, Nijmegen. In 1988, she became deputy secretary of the Island Council. In 1994 she was the chair of the Constitutional Referendum Committee. In 1999 she was a candidate in the Island Council (IC) elections, representing the Democratic Party. However she later joined the People's Progressive Alliance (PPA), who won their first seat in 2003. Arrindell was the first to be elected

. She held the role of President for two terms: the first from 10 October 2010 to 14 July 2012; the second from 24 June 2013 to 9 October 2014. During her tenure she was also the leader of the PPA. She has spoken out against the nepotism that has been common in political appointments on the island. In ''Looking Back to Move Forward'', Arrindell edited a collection of speeches by former Prime Ministers of the Netherlands Antilles. She is president of the Peridot Foundation, an organisation she founded to combat domestic violence in

Saba Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Șaba or Șaba-Târg, the Romanian name for Shabo, a village in Ukraine * Saba, ...

, Sint Eustasius and Sint Maarten. She was also chair of the supervisory board of Directors of the

Princess Juliana International Airport Princess Juliana International Airport is the main airport on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The airport is located on the Dutch side of the island, in the country of Sint Maarten, close to the shore of Simpson Bay Lagoon. In 2015, the ...

Awards

In 2009 she was recognised with an Emerald Award from the Women of Great Esteem (WGE) Organization.

References

External links

Gracita Arrindell Radio Commercial - Special Message for All Women
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arrindell, Gracita Living people 1956 births Presidents of the Parliament of Sint Maarten Members of the Parliament of Sint Maarten Sint Maarten politicians Sint Maarten women in politics Dutch women's rights activists First women legislative speakers