First woman Commonwealth Secretary-General [1]
Friday, April 8, 2016 - 14:38. Updated on Friday, April 8, 2016 - 15:19.
Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland QC is the new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, the first woman to hold the position starting on 4 April in London.
The Commonwealth stated she was nominated to the post by Dominica.
A former Attorney General of the United Kingdom, Scotland in her first address in London, said she is determined that they are going to work together on tackling violence against women and girls, deal with the existential threat of climate change, promote trade and good governance, champion the health, well-being and human rights of our citizens and ensure young people have the opportunities they need for the future.
She also shared her vision for the Commonwealth that working and acting as one people, one family we can make a different future.
Born in the Caribbean and brought up in London, Scotland described herself as a classic child of the Commonwealth.
She highlighted her journey of firsts from being the first black woman to join the Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom to being the first woman to hold the Attorney General UK position and now the first woman to become the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and looked forward to supporting new generations of female leaders.
Tackling domestic violence is one of her top priorities, a problem she said that is literally stealing our futures.
“I am confident we can change things for the better. I want the Commonwealth to be a voice for everyone who shares our common values and hopes.”
She takes over from Kamalesh Sharma who ended his term last month.