‘Queen of the South’ plans to be a model politician
Published:Saturday | September 6, 2025 | 12:07 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Nekeisha Burchell, who has been elected the first female member of parliament (MP) for St James Southern, following her win in Wednesday’s general election, says she is determined to be a role model in leadership for women and girls across Jamaica, as she plans to be very impactful in her representation.
Burchell, who contested the general election on a People’s National Party (PNP) ticket, defeated the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Homer Davis, who was the sitting MP when the tenure of the last parliament ended, by a fairly close but decisive 6,483 to 6,276 margin.
“I received a voice note a couple of days ago from a girl who is about six to eight years old, saying that she was rooting for me, although she had not met me and was not from South St James,” Burchell told The Gleaner. “Based on that, I feel that my campaigning actually energised young people across Jamaica, not just in St James, and females in particular.
“I will try my very best to be a model for all young girls, to let them know that they can do absolutely anything they want to do, and that they should not be constrained by society’s concept of who they should be and what they should look like or sound like,” continued Burchell. “I want them to be comfortable in their skins and to live their best and most productive lives.”
The first-time MP, who was given the ‘Queen of the South’ moniker during the election campaign, cited Nanny of the Maroons, Jamaica’s only female national hero, as one of her inspirations to enter the political race.
“When I did my nomination exercise on August 18, I chose to use the $500 note to pay my nomination fee, because it has both Sam Sharpe and Nanny of the Maroons on it,” noted Burchell, a native of the constituency.
“Sam Sharpe is connected to South St James because he was born here, and because of what he was able to do for the end of slavery, but Nanny is the only female hero that we have, and I am buoyed by Nanny’s courage to stand up against those who thought she could not make it as a woman leader here in Jamaica.”
St James Southern was previously represented by the PNP’s Upton Robotham in 1976, before he lost the seat to the JLP’s Marco Brown in 1980. Brown enjoyed two terms in office before losing the seat to the PNP’s Derrick Kellier during the 1989 general election.
The constituency remained a PNP stronghold under Kellier for the next 31 years. That changed in 2020, when Davis defeated the PNP’s Dr Walton Small, who replaced Kellier as candidate after he retired.
With her victory at the polls, Burchell, whose plans for St James Southern include focusing on entrepreneurial opportunities for small and medium business owners, provision of consistent water supply, and agricultural development, is one of 19 women from both major political parties who will serve in the next Parliament.